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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: last · face · race · prune · cell · charge · nail · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. last — finally
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cell — in biology
  6. race — humankind
  7. prune — to trim
  8. charge — electricity
  9. current — happening now
  10. last — final
  11. charge — in control
  12. face — part of the head
  13. prune — to trim
  14. race — the arms race
  15. current — electric
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — a contest
  18. charge — a price
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. last — to go on
  21. face — to confront
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cell — a phone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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