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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: band · foot · mug · degree · stick · lean · charge · arm

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. band — a music group
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. degree — an amount
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. charge — a price
  11. mug — a cup
  12. charge — in control
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lean — to bend
  18. band — a ring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lean — thin
  24. arm — a part of something

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