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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 116 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: cue · current · cap · leaves · file · wake · kick · perch

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cue — for pool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cap — of ice
  5. file — a tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. kick — in football
  10. current — electric
  11. file — a document
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cap — a hat
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wake — a trail
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cap — a lid
  24. leaves — lets stay

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