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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: current · mine · clip · safe · lean · rash · chest · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. clip — for paper
  4. lean — to bend
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rash — a series
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. chest — of your body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. lean — thin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rash — hasty
  22. current — electric
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. safe — out of danger

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