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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: cabinet · staff · face · current · plane · nail · club · clip

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. face — to confront
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — of water
  8. clip — a video
  9. club — for golf
  10. clip — for paper
  11. club — a group
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. staff — employees
  14. face — part of the head
  15. plane — a tool
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. staff — a stick
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. clip — to cut
  21. staff — employees
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cabinet — ministers

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