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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: charge · spring · roll · plane · wound · deal · bear · current

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. current — of water
  3. wound — an injury
  4. roll — a cake
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spring — of water
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. charge — in control
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. charge — electricity
  16. roll — a list
  17. current — happening now
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — a price
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wound — an injury
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bear — the animal

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