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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.

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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: nail · lean · stick · chip · current · temple · scale · fall

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. current — of water
  3. fall — to drop
  4. scale — size or range
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — to bend
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — electric
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — for betting
  12. scale — in music
  13. current — happening now
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chip — to eat
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — thin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — the season
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — for weighing

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