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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. firm — a company
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. degree — temperature
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. can — a tin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. degree — from a university
  20. can — to be able to
  21. degree — an amount
  22. charge — a price
  23. firm — decided
  24. charge — in control

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