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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lean — to bend
  3. capital — a city
  4. charge — electricity
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. degree — an amount
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — a group
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. capital — money
  18. charge — in control
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lean — thin
  24. hand — part of the body

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