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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: ruler · lie · charge · can · chip · saw · current · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. current — of water
  5. lie — to recline
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chip — for betting
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lean — thin
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. current — happening now
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — electric
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lie — an untruth

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