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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mate — to breed
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mate — a partner
  9. snap — to click
  10. band — a ring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. band — a music group
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. charge — a price
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com