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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: sharp · can · season · rock · degree · charge · fall · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. degree — from a university
  3. charge — in control
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fall — to drop
  6. degree — an amount
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. sharp — clever
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. rock — music
  14. fall — the season
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. charge — electricity
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. degree — temperature
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. charge — a price
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fall — to drop
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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