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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. clip — for paper
  3. race — a contest
  4. chip — to eat
  5. current — happening now
  6. clip — a video
  7. race — the arms race
  8. current — electric
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. clip — to cut
  14. race — humankind
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. chip — for betting
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. chest — of your 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