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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: charge · leaves · lie · roll · degree · wound · court · snap

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. charge — a price
  4. degree — temperature
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wound — an injury
  9. roll — a cake
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. degree — an amount
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. court — for sport
  19. lie — to recline
  20. roll — a list
  21. snap — to click
  22. charge — in control
  23. degree — from a university
  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