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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — farmland
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. staff — employees
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — the tool
  7. degree — temperature
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. degree — an amount
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rest — a break
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. saw — the tool
  16. field — a subject
  17. degree — from a university
  18. staff — employees
  19. charge — in control
  20. rest — what's left
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. field — for sport
  24. snap — to click

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