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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: nail · present · cap · current · sharp · prune · roll · plane

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cap — a lid
  6. roll — a list
  7. current — electric
  8. plane — a tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — clever
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cap — of ice
  14. current — happening now
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. present — there
  20. cap — a hat
  21. present — the time now
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — a gift

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