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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. charge — a price
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bass — low music
  7. firm — steady
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mine — for digging
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. firm — decided
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — a company
  21. degree — from a university
  22. charge — in control
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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