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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.

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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: wake · can · present · current · cabinet · nail · object · mate

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mate — to breed
  3. can — to be able to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. mate — a friend
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — happening now
  13. object — to protest
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mate — a partner
  16. present — a gift
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. current — of water
  21. present — the time now
  22. current — electric
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. present — there

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