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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: sharp · hand · current · charge · fan · row · press · branch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. current — of water
  8. hand — in cards
  9. charge — a price
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. row — a line
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. press — newspapers
  17. current — happening now
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hand — help
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. current — electric
  24. branch — a division

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