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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 120 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: bound · object · charge · present · current · bear · wound · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bear — the animal
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — of water
  8. present — the time now
  9. charge — a price
  10. object — to protest
  11. present — a gift
  12. current — electric
  13. present — there
  14. object — an aim
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. current — happening now
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bound — certain
  21. bear — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. object — a thing

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