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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. charge — a price
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cold — not warm
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mug — a face
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. current — happening now
  15. pound — a weight
  16. plane — a tool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. charge — in control
  20. current — electric
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cold — an illness
  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