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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — of water
  6. object — an aim
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. current — happening now
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. charge — a price
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — for digging
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bank — for money
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. object — a thing
  20. current — electric
  21. object — to protest
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. saw — the tool
  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