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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · land · pop · wave · nail · capital · vault · leaves

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pop — to visit
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pop — music
  6. capital — money
  7. current — happening now
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. capital — a city
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. pop — soda
  21. land — ground
  22. current — electric
  23. vault — a safe
  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