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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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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bore — to tire
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — a price
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lie — to recline
  10. charge — in control
  11. pop — to visit
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bore — to drill
  14. current — happening now
  15. lean — thin
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pop — music
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chair — a leader
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lie — an untruth

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