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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 120 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: snap · present · sharp · trunk · kick · charge · dip · current

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. current — happening now
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. present — there
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. present — a gift
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. charge — in control
  13. current — electric
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. current — of water
  16. dip — to sink
  17. charge — a price
  18. kick — in football
  19. present — the time now
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. snap — to click
  24. sharp — exactly

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