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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. current — electric
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. charge — a price
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — in control
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stem — to come from
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. current — of water

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