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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lie — to recline
  3. charge — a price
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. degree — from a university
  9. plane — a tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. root — of a plant
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. root — of a word
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — in control
  18. staff — employees
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. degree — temperature
  22. snap — to click
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. degree — an amount

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