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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mine — for digging
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — electricity
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. charge — a price
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — a series
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — with an edge

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