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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chair · fan · wind · charge · ruler · season · cabinet

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. current — happening now
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wind — moving air
  12. current — of water
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. wind — moving air
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — in control
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. season — in sport
  24. fan — to cool the air

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