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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.

Words on the sheet
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: cell · current · charge · tear · mouse · hand · dip · firm

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. charge — a price
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hand — help
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. firm — steady
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. charge — in control
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. firm — a company
  18. current — happening now
  19. dip — to sink
  20. tear — from crying
  21. firm — decided
  22. cell — in biology
  23. current — electric
  24. cell — a phone

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