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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: rush · rest · stick · charge · track · degree · mine · snap

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rush — hurry
  7. degree — from a university
  8. track — a song
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rest — a break
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. charge — in control
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. snap — to click
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a path
  23. rest — what's left
  24. track — to keep track

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