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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. current — electric
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lean — thin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bass — low music
  20. deal — to handle
  21. current — of water
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cell — a phone
  24. current — happening now

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