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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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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: trunk · hand · bound · mark · rash · charge · current · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. current — of water
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rash — hasty
  8. firm — steady
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. current — happening now
  12. charge — in control
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. rash — a series
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hand — in cards
  19. firm — decided
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — certain

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