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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: stem · current · wake · deal · rash · charge · spring · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spring — the season
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. current — of water
  15. rash — a series
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. rock — music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. spring — of water
  24. deal — to handle

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