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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: lean · kid · charge · mug · trunk · degree · snap · dip

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. degree — from a university
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lean — thin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mug — a cup
  7. charge — electricity
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mug — a face
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lean — to bend
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. snap — to click
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. kid — child
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. charge — a price
  24. dip — to sink

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