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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · drill · wave · capital · season · current · stick · squash

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. current — electric
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. squash — the sport
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. current — happening now
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. capital — a city
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — of water

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