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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 116 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: net · straw · cap · nail · cell · saw · current · present

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. net — for catching
  3. present — the time now
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cap — of ice
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. present — a gift
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cell — a phone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. current — happening now
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. present — there
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cap — a lid
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cap — a hat
  22. net — in sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — after costs

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