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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 120 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: sharp · race · current · wake · charge · clip · mouse · bulb

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. clip — to cut
  5. charge — a price
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wake — a trail
  9. clip — a video
  10. race — the arms race
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bulb — for light
  14. race — a contest
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. race — humankind
  24. current — happening now

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