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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
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: current · leaves · plane · key · charge · coach · present · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. current — happening now
  3. charge — electricity
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. present — a gift
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. plane — a tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — in music
  13. current — electric
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. present — there
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. present — the time now
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. current — of water

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