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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.

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: current · fan · lean · bay · rash · stick · bore · chip

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lean — to bend
  6. current — electric
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. current — happening now
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. current — of water
  18. rash — a series
  19. bore — to drill
  20. lean — thin
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bore — to tire

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