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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. charge — in control
  3. current — electric
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. kid — to tease
  9. chip — to eat
  10. band — a ring
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. kid — child
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. lean — thin
  20. charge — a price
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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