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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · fall · temple · degree · wind · charge

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. 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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. charge — in control
  5. fall — to drop
  6. charge — electricity
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fall — the season
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. charge — a price
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. 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