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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: leaves · current · cap · bass · hide · chair · last · vault

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. last — finally
  3. cap — a lid
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bass — low music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. current — of water
  13. last — to go on
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. current — happening now
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. last — final
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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