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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. charge — electricity
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. scale — in music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. charge — in control
  10. wound — an injury
  11. current — electric
  12. firm — a company
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. scale — size or range
  15. charge — a price
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. firm — steady
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. firm — decided
  24. row — a quarrel

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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