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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: fall · lie · current · chip · bore · chair · file · land

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. land — a country
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bore — to drill
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fall — the season
  9. chair — a leader
  10. land — ground
  11. current — happening now
  12. file — a tool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. land — to come down
  20. lie — to recline
  21. current — of water
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. current — electric

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