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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lean — thin
  5. charge — a price
  6. lean — to bend
  7. shower — to wash
  8. current — of water
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fork — in a road
  12. shower — rain
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. current — electric
  17. chip — to eat
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. charge — in control

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