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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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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: rest · mark · cell · cap · nail · dip · current · chest

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rest — a break
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. current — electric
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. current — of water
  16. chest — a box
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cap — a lid
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. current — happening now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. dip — to dunk

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