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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.

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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: charge · current · lash · tube · bark · ground · field · lean

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lean — thin
  6. field — for sport
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. current — happening now
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. charge — in control
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. field — a subject
  19. tube — the underground
  20. charge — a price
  21. tube — a container
  22. ground — the earth
  23. field — farmland
  24. bark — to shout

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