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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 · foot · clip · safe · mate · current · file · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mate — a partner
  8. current — happening now
  9. cap — a hat
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. current — electric
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mate — to breed
  19. current — of water
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. file — a line of people
  23. clip — a video
  24. mate — a friend

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