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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · wound · cold · mate · degree · charge · chip · mug

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. charge — in control
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cold — an illness
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. charge — a price
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cold — not warm
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mug — a face
  24. chip — for betting

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