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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: file · present · leaves · wake · content · swing · current · charge

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. file — a document
  3. content — happy
  4. present — a gift
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. charge — in control
  8. current — electric
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. present — the time now
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wake — a trail
  20. charge — a price
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. swing — in golf
  23. present — there
  24. swing — to play on

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