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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: current · sharp · hand · band · nail · rash · charge · lean

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. charge — in control
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. charge — a price
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. sharp — clever
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. rash — a series
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. current — of water
  21. hand — in cards
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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