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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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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: mate · snap · charge · current · can · rash · swing · rest

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to click
  3. mate — a friend
  4. swing — in golf
  5. can — to be able to
  6. current — happening now
  7. rest — a break
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — a price
  15. current — electric
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mate — a partner
  18. swing — to play on
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. rash — a series
  22. current — of water
  23. mate — to breed
  24. swing — music

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