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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · wake · degree · game · pound · arm · charge · press

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. degree — an amount
  3. charge — electricity
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wake — a trail
  6. press — newspapers
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. press — a publisher
  9. charge — a price
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. charge — in control
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pound — a weight
  18. degree — from a university
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. degree — temperature
  22. press — to push
  23. game — a match
  24. pound — for dogs

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