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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: band · chip · current · rash · mate · arm · hand · wound

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wound — an injury
  5. band — a music group
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rash — a series
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. current — happening now
  16. mate — a partner
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. current — of water
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. arm — part of the body

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