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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.

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: wound · current · degree · staff · cap · lean · object · ruler

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. staff — a stick
  3. current — electric
  4. object — a thing
  5. current — happening now
  6. degree — temperature
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cap — a hat
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wound — an injury
  15. object — an aim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — of water
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — an amount
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. object — to protest

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