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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: lie · cue · toast · rush · degree · current · charge · band

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — happening now
  3. cue — a hint
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. charge — in control
  8. degree — temperature
  9. band — a ring
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. band — a music group
  14. current — of water
  15. rush — hurry
  16. charge — a price
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cue — a signal
  19. toast — bread
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lie — to recline
  24. current — electric

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