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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 124 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. fall — to drop
  4. row — to paddle
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — in control
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — for sport
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fall — the season
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. court — of a king
  16. charge — a price
  17. court — of law
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. vault — a safe
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — electric
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. charge — electricity

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