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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · mouse · chip · arm · object · temple · current · last

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chip — for betting
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. object — a thing
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. current — of water
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. object — an aim
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. last — to go 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