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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: current · wound · arm · chip · key · lean · stand · lash

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chip — for betting
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. current — of water
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lean — thin
  21. current — happening now
  22. wound — an injury
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lean — to bend

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