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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 · present · bound · lean · chair · rush · date · current

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bound — tied together
  4. charge — a price
  5. bound — certain
  6. present — there
  7. current — happening now
  8. bound — obliged
  9. present — a gift
  10. current — electric
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. present — the time now
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lean — thin
  18. rush — hurry
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. current — of water
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. date — the fruit
  24. chair — to sit on

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