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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fan · sharp · current · arm · wind · charge · vault

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. charge — in control
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. current — of water
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. charge — electricity
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — happening now
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. charge — a price
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bat — the animal
  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