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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
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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: shower · charge · season · current · cabinet · spring · branch · safe

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. season — in sport
  4. current — of water
  5. charge — a price
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. branch — a division
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — rain
  14. current — happening now
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spring — a coil
  18. shower — to wash
  19. charge — in control
  20. spring — the season
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. spring — of water
  24. branch — of a tree

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