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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: cap · wave · current · mate · nail · date · band · prune

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cap — a lid
  9. band — a ring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. current — of water
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — happening now
  17. cap — a hat
  18. band — a music group
  19. cap — of ice
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mate — a friend
  23. prune — to trim
  24. band — a rubber band

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