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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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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: rush · charge · current · rock · pit · wound · face · row

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. current — of water
  6. wound — an injury
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rush — hurry
  12. row — to paddle
  13. face — to point toward
  14. current — happening now
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — a line
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pit — a hole
  22. face — part of the head
  23. current — electric
  24. rush — a thrill

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