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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: charge · roll · hand · bank · current · rest · straw · staff

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bank — for money
  5. staff — employees
  6. bank — for money
  7. roll — a list
  8. rest — a break
  9. charge — a price
  10. bank — of a river
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. current — happening now
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hand — help
  18. staff — a stick
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. staff — employees
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — in cards

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