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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. current — of water
  3. root — of a word
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. charge — in control
  6. bound — certain
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. root — of a plant
  10. current — happening now
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bank — of a river
  13. charge — electricity
  14. file — a line of people
  15. band — a music group
  16. file — a document
  17. rash — hasty
  18. root — the cause
  19. file — a tool
  20. charge — a price
  21. current — electric
  22. rash — a series
  23. band — a ring
  24. bound — obliged

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