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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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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: saw · stick · ground · charge · current · lash · ruler · deal

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. current — happening now
  10. saw — the tool
  11. charge — in control
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — of water
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ground — a position
  23. current — electric
  24. ruler — a monarch

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