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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: nail · lean · rest · cap · craft · foot · chair · current

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. current — electric
  4. craft — boats
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rest — a break
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. current — of water
  13. cap — of ice
  14. lean — to bend
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cap — a hat
  18. current — happening now
  19. lean — thin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chair — a leader

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