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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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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — electricity
  4. face — to confront
  5. charge — in control
  6. current — happening now
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. hand — help
  15. chest — a box
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — a tin
  19. charge — a price
  20. current — of water
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chest — of your body
  23. face — part of the head
  24. can — to be able to

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