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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fine — all right
  3. charge — electricity
  4. current — of water
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. charge — in control
  9. sharp — clever
  10. current — happening now
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bound — obliged
  14. charge — a price
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bound — certain
  24. wave — of the sea

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