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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · safe · wound · current · land · kick · wave · mouse

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. land — ground
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. kick — in football
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. current — happening now
  10. land — a country
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — electric
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. charge — a price

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