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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · file · calf · land · bass · current · charge · press

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. charge — a price
  7. bass — the fish
  8. file — a document
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. land — to come down
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — a country
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. press — to push
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. land — ground
  22. charge — in control
  23. current — electric
  24. file — a tool

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