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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: current · charge · chair · lie · tube · race · lash · bay

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. current — happening now
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tube — the underground
  9. charge — in control
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tube — a container
  15. lie — to recline
  16. charge — a price
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. race — humankind
  19. chair — a leader
  20. current — of water
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. current — electric
  24. tube — in a tire

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