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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: club · lean · current · cap · rest · cabinet · sharp · ruler

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rest — a break
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. club — a group
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cap — a hat
  13. club — for dancing
  14. current — happening now
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — for golf
  17. current — electric
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. current — of water
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rest — what's left

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