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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — in control
  7. degree — temperature
  8. can — to be able to
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. degree — from a university
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. root — of a word
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. can — a tin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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