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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: charge · tube · drill · deal · straw · current · can · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. tube — the underground
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. current — of water
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. kid — child
  9. charge — in control
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. charge — electricity
  12. can — a tin
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. kid — to tease
  16. current — happening now
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. charge — a price
  19. drill — army training
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. can — to be able to
  22. current — electric
  23. deal — to handle
  24. tube — a container

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