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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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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — in control
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — electricity
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — clothes
  15. charge — a price
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. current — happening now
  24. date — on the calendar

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