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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.

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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: charge · mate · degree · wind · safe · bay · ruler · row

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wind — moving air
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wind — moving air
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. row — a line
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. charge — in control
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. degree — from a university
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — temperature
  19. charge — a price
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mate — to breed
  22. charge — electricity
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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