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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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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 · mate · nail · cold · vault · staff · stem · kick

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. current — happening now
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. current — electric
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — a friend
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cold — not warm
  17. current — of water
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stem — to come from

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