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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. current — happening now
  4. spring — of water
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. spring — a coil
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. charge — in control
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — electric
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pass — a permit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. snap — to click
  20. wound — an injury
  21. current — of water
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spring — the season
  24. degree — from a university

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