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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 124 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. face — part of the head
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. degree — an amount
  8. charge — in control
  9. bass — the fish
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bass — low music
  14. spell — magic
  15. degree — temperature
  16. face — to confront
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. calf — a young animal

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