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

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cold — not warm
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. branch — a division
  12. cold — an illness
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cap — of ice
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cap — a hat
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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