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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: game · hide · current · fine · bear · wound · charge · fall

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. current — electric
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fine — all right
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. charge — electricity
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. current — of water
  17. game — a match
  18. wound — an injury
  19. current — happening now
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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