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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: nail · lie · field · cabinet · rush · cell · current · capital

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cell — a phone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — happening now
  6. cell — in biology
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. current — of water
  12. capital — a city
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lie — to recline
  20. capital — money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. field — a subject
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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