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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: cold · stick · current · bark · kick · present · charge · drill

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against 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. kick — in football
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. drill — the tool
  7. current — happening now
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. present — the time now
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. drill — army training
  12. present — a gift
  13. drill — a practice
  14. charge — electricity
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cold — an illness
  17. current — electric
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. present — there
  21. charge — in control
  22. cold — not warm
  23. current — of water
  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