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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · current · charge · cold · pop · staff

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cold — not warm
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. staff — a stick
  6. current — happening now
  7. staff — employees
  8. cold — an illness
  9. pop — soda
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pop — music
  15. current — electric
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — a price

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