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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 120 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: game · leaves · cap · hide · current · present · craft · nail

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cap — a hat
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. game — wild animals
  5. present — there
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. game — a match
  12. current — happening now
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. present — the time now
  15. cap — a lid
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — a skill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — a gift
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. current — of water

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