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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: degree · charge · rest · spring · stand · cue · tear · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. degree — temperature
  5. charge — a price
  6. rest — what's left
  7. charge — electricity
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cue — a hint
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rest — a break
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lean — thin
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rest — what's left
  21. charge — in control
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stand — to bear

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