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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bass — low music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bass — the fish
  11. charge — a price
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. row — a line
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mouse — for a computer

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