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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: wake · charge · current · staff · saw · stock · spell · prune

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. charge — in control
  3. current — electric
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stock — shares
  7. saw — the tool
  8. staff — a stick
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. charge — a price
  12. spell — magic
  13. current — happening now
  14. charge — electricity
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. spell — letters
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. staff — employees
  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