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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: wave · file · cap · prune · drill · fork · current · lash

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. current — electric
  5. file — a tool
  6. current — of water
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. drill — army training
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. current — happening now
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wave — with your hand

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