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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: chair · kick · bound · current · chip · wave · leaves · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chip — for betting
  4. current — electric
  5. kick — in football
  6. chair — a leader
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ground — a position
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. leaves — to go away

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