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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: stand · cap · rest · calf · cabinet · pitcher · current · last

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rest — a break
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — electric
  13. cap — a lid
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cap — of ice
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. last — final

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