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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: lean · current · mouse · can · tube · chip · fall · firm

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. tube — a container
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. firm — decided
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — happening now
  9. fall — the season
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lean — thin
  20. current — of water
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mouse — the animal

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