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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 120 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: charge · track · shower · bear · current · plane · kick · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. kick — in football
  6. current — happening now
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. current — of water
  11. charge — in control
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. shower — rain
  16. charge — electricity
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. current — electric
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. charge — a price
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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