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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: chip · current · foot · fan · lash · chest · board · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — for betting
  6. current — electric
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. chest — a box
  13. board — to get on
  14. band — a ring
  15. chest — of your body
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. board — a committee
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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