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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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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 · lean · pop · cap · foot · cell · wake · fan

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lean — thin
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pop — soda
  10. cell — a phone
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — of water
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — happening now
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cap — of ice
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pop — music
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. current — electric
  24. wake — before a funeral

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