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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: current · mine · firm · cap · charge · leaves · straw · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. firm — steady
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cap — a lid
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. firm — decided
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. charge — in control
  15. band — a music group
  16. cap — a hat
  17. current — of water
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cap — of ice
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. charge — a price
  23. firm — a company
  24. leaves — lets stay

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