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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · mine · current · stick · stand · charge · saw · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fall — to drop
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — electric
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. charge — a price
  17. fall — the season
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. current — happening now
  20. stand — to bear
  21. current — of water
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. charge — in control
  24. bark — of a tree

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