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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 116 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: pound · cell · current · sharp · stick · vault · charge · lean

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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 — electricity
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pound — a weight
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — in control
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. current — of water
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lean — thin
  15. vault — a safe
  16. charge — a price
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. sharp — clever
  19. current — electric
  20. cell — in biology
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  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