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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 · bear · current · temple · drill · swing · fork · lean

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cap — a hat
  5. swing — music
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lean — thin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. swing — in golf
  15. current — happening now
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. fork — a garden tool

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