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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. march — the month
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bound — tied together
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. current — electric
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. charge — electricity
  9. march — the month
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bound — certain
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. current — happening now
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. charge — a price
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bound — obliged
  20. current — of water
  21. lean — thin
  22. march — music
  23. snap — to click
  24. dip — to sink

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