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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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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 · ruler · charge · kid · plane · bear · stick

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — in control
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. plane — a tool
  11. current — electric
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. charge — electricity
  15. kid — child
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. charge — a price
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. current — of water

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