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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 120 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 · arm · lie · hand · cabinet · charge · lean · rest

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — thin
  4. current — of water
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. charge — in control
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. current — electric
  21. rest — a break
  22. hand — help
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — happening now

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