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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
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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 · tear · current · mate · lash · bound · fork · charge

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. current — electric
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mate — to breed
  8. charge — in control
  9. mate — a friend
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — certain
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fork — in a road
  18. current — happening now
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mate — a partner
  22. charge — a price
  23. current — of water
  24. fork — to eat with

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