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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: chair · fan · saw · bowl · arm · last · current · lean

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. last — to go on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. last — final
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — electric
  19. lean — thin
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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