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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. current — happening now
  3. band — a music group
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. current — of water
  6. can — a tin
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. charge — in control
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — a skill
  11. current — electric
  12. craft — boats
  13. ground — the earth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. can — a tin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. band — a ring
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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