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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: mark · temple · current · bass · root · charge · wind · chest

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. current — of water
  3. mark — a trace
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. root — of a word
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. charge — in control
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. charge — a price
  11. chest — a box
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mark — a grade
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chest — of your body
  18. current — happening now
  19. chest — of your body
  20. current — electric
  21. bass — the fish
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bass — low music

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