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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · saw · lean · bass · chip · plane · cold · ruler

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cold — not warm
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. current — of water
  10. cold — an illness
  11. lean — thin
  12. bass — low music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. saw — the tool
  20. current — happening now
  21. chip — to eat
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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