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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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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 · cabinet · chest · chip · safe · fork · fall · bowl

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fall — the season
  6. current — of water
  7. chest — of your body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chest — a box
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — in a computer

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