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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: land · fine · wake · rest · season · current · lean · chip

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. land — a country
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fine — high quality
  9. land — ground
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. current — of water
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. season — of the year
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. land — to come down
  22. fine — all right
  23. current — happening now
  24. season — in sport

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