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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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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: current · nail · chip · lash · game · bulb · mouse · stand

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. game — a match
  7. current — happening now
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chip — for betting
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — electric
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — of water
  24. chip — to eat

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