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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: stand · cell · wound · ruler · current · net · charge · present

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. present — the time now
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — electric
  7. charge — in control
  8. current — of water
  9. charge — a price
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — after costs
  12. cell — a phone
  13. net — for catching
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. charge — electricity
  17. present — a gift
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wound — an injury
  20. net — in sport
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. present — there
  23. cell — in biology
  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