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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: straw · current · fork · season · shower · hide · charge · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. shower — rain
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. last — final
  7. charge — in control
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. current — electric
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — in a road
  14. charge — a price
  15. season — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. current — of water
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. shower — to wash
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. season — of the year
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — electricity

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