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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. kid — child
  3. current — electric
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bear — the animal
  8. current — happening now
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. charge — electricity
  12. current — of water
  13. charge — a price
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. charge — in control
  24. file — a document

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