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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 120 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: current · charge · rash · bear · bass · wax · hand · file

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rash — hasty
  3. charge — in control
  4. file — a tool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rash — a series
  8. current — electric
  9. file — a line of people
  10. current — happening now
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. file — a document
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. current — of water
  16. bass — low music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. hand — in cards
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hand — part of the body

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