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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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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 · face · cap · pop · rest · arm · bulb · current

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chip — for betting
  5. current — electric
  6. face — part of the head
  7. current — of water
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — happening now
  10. bulb — for light
  11. face — to confront
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pop — soda
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pop — music
  21. rest — a break
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cap — a hat
  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