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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fine — all right
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. current — electric
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cap — of ice
  12. charge — a price
  13. wake — a trail
  14. current — of water
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — happening now
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. charge — electricity
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wind — moving air

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