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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.

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: staff · hide · tube · chip · face · bulb · current · bound

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tube — a container
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bound — certain
  7. staff — employees
  8. current — electric
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bound — tied together
  11. tube — the underground
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — of water
  14. staff — employees
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. current — happening now
  18. staff — a stick
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bound — obliged

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