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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: mug · current · bank · ground · charge · lie · bay · cabinet

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. current — of water
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mug — a face
  8. charge — a price
  9. current — electric
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. charge — in control
  15. mug — a cup
  16. ground — a position
  17. bank — for money
  18. current — happening now
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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