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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 116 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: stand · charge · ruler · current · row · sharp · kid · present

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. kid — child
  4. stand — to bear
  5. sharp — clever
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. current — of water
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. kid — to tease
  18. present — the time now
  19. row — to paddle
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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