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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.

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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: kid · bat · foot · dip · rule · leaves · charge · current

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. current — of water
  3. charge — electricity
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bat — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. current — electric
  11. foot — a measure
  12. current — happening now
  13. charge — in control
  14. rule — government
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. dip — to sink
  19. charge — a price
  20. rule — a law
  21. kid — child
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. kid — to tease

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