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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 116 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 · mark · charge · cabinet · face · bass · bank · shower

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — electric
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bass — low music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — part of the head
  9. charge — in control
  10. current — happening now
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. shower — rain
  13. mark — a trace
  14. charge — electricity
  15. face — to confront
  16. bass — the fish
  17. face — to point toward
  18. charge — a price
  19. mark — a grade
  20. current — of water
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bank — for money
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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