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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. tube — the underground
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. hand — help
  7. wound — an injury
  8. degree — temperature
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — there
  11. hand — in cards
  12. suit — in cards
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — a container
  16. degree — an amount
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wound — an injury
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. present — a gift
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. degree — from a university

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