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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wind — moving air
  3. degree — temperature
  4. charge — electricity
  5. key — for a lock
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — happening now
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wind — moving air
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. degree — an amount
  15. tube — a container
  16. snap — to click
  17. degree — from a university
  18. current — of water
  19. key — in music
  20. charge — a price
  21. current — electric
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. nail — for a hammer

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