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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · fan · spring · cell · lash · stand · nail · current

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spring — the season
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cell — a phone
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cap — of ice
  8. spring — a coil
  9. current — electric
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. current — happening now
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cap — a lid
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spring — of water
  22. stand — to bear
  23. current — of water
  24. cell — in biology

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