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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 124 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. degree — an amount
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. degree — from a university
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. shower — rain
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fall — to drop
  17. current — electric
  18. perch — the fish
  19. current — happening now
  20. charge — a price
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. current — of water
  24. degree — temperature

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