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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fall — to drop
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. degree — temperature
  10. land — a country
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. land — ground
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fall — the season
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rock — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. land — to come down
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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