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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: cap · plane · mate · fine · current · lash · nail · staff

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fine — high quality
  5. current — of water
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — electric
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fine — all right
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mate — to breed
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cap — a hat
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mate — a friend
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — for a hammer

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