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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 116 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — an amount
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — thin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. charge — electricity
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to bend

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