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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: craft · current · cue · cabinet · tube · lie · capital · nail

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cue — a signal
  6. capital — a city
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lie — to recline
  10. craft — boats
  11. cue — for pool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. capital — money
  14. current — of water
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — electric
  18. tube — a container
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — happening now

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