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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: mark · chest · lie · fan · current · bulb · arm · foot

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — happening now
  4. bulb — for light
  5. foot — a measure
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lie — to recline
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chest — a box
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. arm — part of the body

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