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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: charge · kick · stick · drill · root · bound · clip · current

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — a price
  6. bound — certain
  7. root — the cause
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. current — of water
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. current — happening now
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. clip — for paper
  15. current — electric
  16. kick — in football
  17. bound — tied together
  18. root — of a plant
  19. charge — in control
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. root — of a word
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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