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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · tube · bark · current · plane · chip · lean · staff

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tube — a container
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. current — of water
  7. staff — employees
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bark — to shout
  13. chip — for betting
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lean — thin
  16. staff — a stick
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lean — to bend
  21. plane — a tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. current — happening now
  24. lean — to rest against

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