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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: fall · root · key · current · chip · chest · season · lean

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. current — happening now
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. root — of a word
  8. current — electric
  9. fall — to drop
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fall — the season
  14. season — of the year
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lean — to bend
  17. current — of water
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. key — in music
  24. root — the cause

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