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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: wake · kick · field · jam · pound · current · lash · charge

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. field — a subject
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. field — farmland
  17. pound — a weight
  18. field — for sport
  19. kick — in football
  20. charge — electricity
  21. current — happening now
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pound — for dogs

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