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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. charge — in control
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. charge — a price
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. charge — electricity
  13. degree — from a university
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. degree — an amount
  17. hand — help
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mine — for digging

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