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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: current · mouse · sharp · club · tube · cap · lean · fall

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — of water
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — happening now
  6. fall — to drop
  7. sharp — clever
  8. club — for golf
  9. current — electric
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lean — thin
  13. fall — the season
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cap — of ice
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. club — a group
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — a hat

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