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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: firm · stem · file · charge · leaves · current · fall · mate

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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 — happening now
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fall — to drop
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. file — a document
  8. firm — steady
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stem — to come from
  11. charge — in control
  12. file — a tool
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fall — the season
  15. firm — decided
  16. current — of water
  17. mate — to breed
  18. current — electric
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fall — to drop
  22. firm — a company
  23. stem — of a plant
  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