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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: content · current · wound · lean · vault · spring · can · charge

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wound — an injury
  3. current — electric
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lean — to bend
  6. current — of water
  7. content — the amount
  8. spring — a coil
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — thin
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. charge — a price
  13. can — a tin
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. content — happy
  16. current — happening now
  17. spring — the season
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. charge — in control
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spring — of water
  24. charge — electricity

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