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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: wave · cabinet · charge · current · cell · court · bore · bay

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. charge — in control
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. charge — a price
  6. court — of law
  7. current — electric
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bore — to drill
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. current — happening now
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. court — for sport
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. current — of water
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bore — to tire
  24. court — of a king

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