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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. march — the month
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. board — to get on
  6. march — music
  7. file — a tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. file — a line of people
  12. march — the month
  13. file — a document
  14. lean — to bend
  15. degree — temperature
  16. firm — decided
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. firm — a company
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. charge — a price
  22. degree — from a university
  23. lean — thin
  24. firm — steady

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