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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: key · firm · lean · rule · clip · capital · wave · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rule — a law
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — happening now
  10. capital — money
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rule — government
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. current — of water
  16. firm — a company
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. capital — a city
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lean — thin
  24. clip — a video

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