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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.

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: staff · tear · cue · craft · degree · ruler · charge · spell

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. 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. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. staff — employees
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spell — letters
  13. craft — boats
  14. cue — a hint
  15. staff — a stick
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. degree — temperature
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. staff — employees
  21. charge — in control
  22. cue — for pool
  23. degree — from a university
  24. 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