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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. charge — electricity
  4. current — of water
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. charge — in control
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. current — electric
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. charge — a price
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. current — happening now

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