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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. swing — music
  7. net — in sport
  8. charge — a price
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — after costs
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — electric
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. charge — in control
  18. net — for catching
  19. current — happening now
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rush — hurry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — in golf
  24. branch — of a tree

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