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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: current · lie · content · nail · hand · cabinet · cap · clip

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — happy
  4. clip — a video
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. clip — to cut
  7. current — happening now
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cap — a lid
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cap — a hat
  16. current — electric
  17. clip — for paper
  18. hand — help
  19. content — the amount
  20. cap — of ice
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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