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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.

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: rule · current · spring · cell · snap · track · charge · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — a coil
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. track — a path
  7. rule — government
  8. spring — the season
  9. current — of water
  10. track — a song
  11. spring — of water
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cell — a phone
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. track — to keep track
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rule — a law
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. current — happening now
  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