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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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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: current · kid · chip · rush · cabinet · rash · cell · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. kid — child
  5. current — electric
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rash — a series
  14. current — of water
  15. rash — hasty
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — for betting

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