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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. object — to protest
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — of a river
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — rain
  8. charge — in control
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. object — a thing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — an aim
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. charge — a price
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — to wash
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. trunk — of a car

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