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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.

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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: fine · bulb · charge · nail · saw · current · content · cold

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. charge — electricity
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. current — of water
  8. cold — an illness
  9. charge — a price
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fine — all right
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. current — electric
  19. charge — in control
  20. content — happy
  21. fine — high quality
  22. saw — the tool
  23. content — the amount
  24. current — happening now

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