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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: fork · charge · suit · lean · current · fall · wake · season

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — in control
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. season — of the year
  8. current — of water
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. charge — a price
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lean — thin
  15. charge — electricity
  16. current — electric
  17. fork — in a road
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lean — to bend
  23. suit — in cards
  24. season — in sport

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