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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 120 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: fan · cell · capital · squash · saw · sharp · current · nail

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. squash — the sport
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. capital — a city
  10. current — of water
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cell — a phone
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cell — in biology
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — money

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