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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. current — electric
  4. kick — in football
  5. current — happening now
  6. file — a tool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bear — the animal
  9. suit — clothes
  10. file — a document
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. suit — in cards
  13. charge — electricity
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. current — of water
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chest — a box
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. file — a line of people

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