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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · current · mouse · branch · rush · pop · chair · file

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. current — of water
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pop — soda
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. file — a tool
  9. current — electric
  10. branch — a division
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pop — music
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. current — happening now
  23. file — a document
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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