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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · chair · face · rash · chip · key · current · wave

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. key — in music
  5. current — electric
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. face — to confront
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rash — a series
  16. current — happening now
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. key — for a lock
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. current — of water
  24. face — to point toward

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