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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: wound · tube · rule · suit · fall · chip · bank · current

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — of water
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — for betting
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. current — electric
  12. bank — of a river
  13. tube — the underground
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — a container
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rule — a law
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rule — government
  23. current — happening now
  24. bank — for money

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