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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: chest · wake · mouse · charge · current · plane · stem · stick

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — of water
  5. charge — a price
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stem — to come from
  8. current — happening now
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. charge — in control
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chest — a box

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