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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: shower · current · craft · wound · saw · racket · fall · charge

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. shower — rain
  4. fall — the season
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. charge — a price
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. charge — electricity
  10. current — of water
  11. craft — a skill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. current — happening now
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. charge — in control
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. saw — the tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fall — to drop
  24. current — electric

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