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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: bulb · straw · charge · bat · branch · current · bore · rest

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. current — of water
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. charge — electricity
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. branch — a division
  12. rest — a break
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. current — electric
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bore — to drill
  21. current — happening now
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. charge — a price
  24. bulb — for light

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