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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 · mate · cap · current · hide · wind · calf · drill

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mate — a partner
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. current — happening now
  7. mate — to breed
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — of ice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. current — of water
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — a hat
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mate — a friend
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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