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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · present · bear · hand · clip · current · charge · tube

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — of water
  7. present — the time now
  8. tube — a container
  9. present — there
  10. current — happening now
  11. hand — in cards
  12. charge — a price
  13. can — a tin
  14. present — a gift
  15. current — electric
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — for paper
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hand — help
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. clip — a video
  24. bear — the animal

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