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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: last · march · current · bass · lie · bore · chip · arm

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — to go on
  3. march — the month
  4. current — happening now
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. current — electric
  8. bass — low music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. march — the month
  11. chip — to eat
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. last — finally
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lie — to recline
  16. march — music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. current — of water
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. last — final

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