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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. clip — for paper
  5. current — of water
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. current — happening now
  10. charge — in control
  11. lean — thin
  12. file — a document
  13. object — a thing
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. clip — a video
  16. current — electric
  17. file — a tool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. file — a line of people

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