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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: march · current · wake · lie · chip · ruler · fan · nail

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. current — happening now
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. current — electric
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — for betting
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — a trail
  24. current — of water

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