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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. charge — electricity
  3. current — happening now
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. clip — to cut
  7. charge — in control
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. clip — a video
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. charge — a price
  12. spell — a short time
  13. current — of water
  14. clip — for paper
  15. spring — of water
  16. spell — letters
  17. saw — the tool
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spell — magic
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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