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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. staff — employees
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. charge — a price
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rash — a series
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rash — hasty
  14. staff — a stick
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — in control
  20. staff — employees
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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