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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 116 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: mouse · kid · last · bulb · lie · chip · chair · current

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. last — finally
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — happening now
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. last — to go on
  12. chip — to eat
  13. current — electric
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. last — final
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kid — child

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