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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. current — of water
  3. present — the time now
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — in control
  6. mine — for digging
  7. present — there
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. track — a song
  10. craft — a skill
  11. current — electric
  12. last — finally
  13. current — happening now
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. present — a gift
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. charge — electricity

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