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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · cold · chest · charge · rash · staff · plane · current

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. plane — a tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. staff — employees
  7. chest — of your body
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. staff — a stick
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. net — for catching
  13. current — happening now
  14. charge — in control
  15. staff — employees
  16. charge — a price
  17. net — in sport
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — not warm
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. net — after costs
  24. cold — the Cold War

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