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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 · staff · prune · bay · cabinet · spring · chip · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. current — of water
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spring — of water
  6. chip — to eat
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spring — a coil
  12. current — happening now
  13. staff — employees
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — electric
  22. spring — the season
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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