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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: squash · current · fall · plane · kid · cue · coach · cap

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. plane — a tool
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cap — a hat
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. current — electric
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. cue — for pool
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cap — a lid
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. current — happening now
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. cue — a signal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. coach — a trainer

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