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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 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chip — to eat
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. face — to confront
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chest — a box
  11. current — happening now
  12. snap — to click
  13. current — electric
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — part of the head
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chip — in a computer

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