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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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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: fork · kick · chip · current · lean · row · stand · last

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. row — a line
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. lean — thin
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. current — happening now
  8. chip — for betting
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. current — electric
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fork — in a road
  14. current — of water
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. last — to go on
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kick — in football
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. row — to paddle

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