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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wound · race · fan · charge · squash · saw · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. current — electric
  4. charge — in control
  5. saw — the tool
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — a contest
  21. charge — electricity
  22. current — happening now
  23. wound — an injury
  24. race — humankind

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