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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · saw · charge · bank · rash · chair · bass · arm

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. saw — the tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. current — happening now
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. current — electric
  14. charge — a price
  15. chair — a leader
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. current — of water
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bass — low music
  24. rash — a series

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