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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 116 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.

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: current · wave · clip · hide · track · craft · capital · cabinet

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. track — a song
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. track — to keep track
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. track — a path
  10. current — of water
  11. craft — boats
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. current — happening now
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. clip — a video
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. current — electric
  24. capital — money

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