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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: stock · tear · mug · arm · lean · current · chip · hide

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mug — to rob
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — a cup
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stock — goods
  15. lean — thin
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mug — a face
  19. stock — shares
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. current — happening now
  24. stock — a soup base

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