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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: hand · chip · current · dip · hide · firm · field · leaves

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. hand — in cards
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. current — happening now
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. field — farmland
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. firm — a company
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. hand — help
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — for betting
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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