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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: charge · present · current · net · cold · rush · tube · object

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cold — not warm
  3. present — a gift
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. current — of water
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tube — a container
  9. net — for catching
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. present — there
  14. current — electric
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. tube — the underground
  19. net — in sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. net — after costs
  22. charge — a price
  23. present — the time now
  24. tube — in a tire

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