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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: lean · bay · drill · snap · bore · stock · charge · current

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. current — of water
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. charge — a price
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stock — goods
  8. bore — to drill
  9. current — electric
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — army training
  12. stock — shares
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bore — to tire
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — happening now
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lean — to bend
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. drill — a practice
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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