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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. charge — electricity
  3. current — electric
  4. mate — a partner
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. firm — a company
  8. mate — a friend
  9. current — of water
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. charge — in control
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. charge — a price
  19. current — happening now
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. firm — steady
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fork — in a road

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