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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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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: chip · pit · kick · current · face · trunk · perch · rule

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rule — government
  4. face — to confront
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rule — a law
  7. chip — for betting
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. face — to point toward
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. current — happening now
  16. kick — in football
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. perch — the fish
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pit — a hole
  24. kick — a thrill

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