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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bank — for money
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. charge — a price
  7. clip — for paper
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — electric
  11. rule — government
  12. charge — electricity
  13. clip — a video
  14. current — happening now
  15. charge — in control
  16. rule — a law
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. clip — to cut

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