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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · current · hide · march · cabinet · charge · arm · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. march — the month
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — in control
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — a price
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bat — the animal
  18. march — music
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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