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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. plane — a tool
  3. current — electric
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. current — of water
  10. charge — electricity
  11. shower — to wash
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. charge — in control
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. current — happening now
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bank — of a river
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. shower — rain
  24. stock — goods

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