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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: roll · bound · hand · charge · rush · lean · degree · mug

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lean — to bend
  3. hand — in cards
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bound — certain
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bound — tied together
  10. charge — electricity
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rush — hurry
  13. roll — a list
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lean — thin
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mug — a face
  20. bound — obliged
  21. charge — a price
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. charge — in control

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