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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.

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: net · clip · rest · toast · current · rash · cabinet · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. net — for catching
  3. current — of water
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — after costs
  10. toast — bread
  11. rash — a series
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rest — what's left
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — electric
  19. net — in sport
  20. current — happening now
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. clip — a video
  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