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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: leaves · current · chip · pop · foot · face · wound · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. face — to confront
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — to eat
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pop — soda
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. face — to point toward
  16. current — of water
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chip — for betting
  22. face — part of the head
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pop — music

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