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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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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: charge · stem · pound · plane · wind · kid · mug · current

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. kid — child
  5. current — of water
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mug — a cup
  9. current — happening now
  10. mug — a face
  11. current — electric
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mug — to rob
  16. charge — a price
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. charge — in control

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