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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: tube · fan · wound · calf · current · season · fork · cap

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tube — a container
  3. current — happening now
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. current — electric
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. season — in sport
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wound — an injury
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cap — a hat
  22. current — of water
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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