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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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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: stand · chest · charge · lie · drill · degree · wake · arm

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. charge — in control
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. drill — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lie — to recline
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. drill — army training
  13. chest — of your body
  14. degree — temperature
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. charge — a price
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chest — a box
  21. degree — from a university
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chest — of your body
  24. degree — an amount

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