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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · current · degree · chest · lash · key · charge · cap

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. current — happening now
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. chest — of your body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cap — of ice
  10. charge — in control
  11. current — electric
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cap — a lid
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — in music
  21. current — of water
  22. charge — a price
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. charge — electricity

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