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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: shower · chip · lean · cap · current · lie · stand · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. current — happening now
  5. cap — a hat
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — to bend
  12. shower — rain
  13. cap — of ice
  14. lean — thin
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chip — for betting
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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