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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: wake · pit · band · rush · charge · clip · pass · current

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. band — a ring
  4. charge — electricity
  5. current — electric
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. current — happening now
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. charge — a price
  14. pit — a hole
  15. band — a music group
  16. current — of water
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. charge — in control
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. clip — a video
  24. pass — to spend time

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