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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: roll · trunk · charge · nail · stick · rock · craft · current

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. charge — electricity
  3. current — electric
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — a price
  9. rock — music
  10. current — of water
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. craft — a skill
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. charge — in control
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rock — a stone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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