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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · calf · shower · nail · capital · foot · bowl · rule

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. current — electric
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. shower — rain
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. capital — a city
  8. rule — a law
  9. capital — money
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. current — of water
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. current — happening now
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rule — government
  23. calf — a young animal
  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