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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: charge · firm · clip · current · swing · bore · rest · degree

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. bore — to drill
  5. current — of water
  6. degree — temperature
  7. current — electric
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — electricity
  11. firm — steady
  12. swing — in golf
  13. clip — to cut
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rest — a break
  16. bore — to tire
  17. charge — a price
  18. clip — for paper
  19. swing — to play on
  20. current — happening now
  21. degree — from a university
  22. charge — in control
  23. clip — a video
  24. swing — music

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