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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: present · lean · race · chair · clip · bulb · current · staff

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. present — there
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. race — humankind
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. clip — a video
  8. current — electric
  9. clip — to cut
  10. current — of water
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — a stick
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bulb — for light
  15. race — the arms race
  16. present — a gift
  17. chair — a leader
  18. present — the time now
  19. lean — to bend
  20. race — a contest
  21. lean — thin
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — to sit on

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