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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · rush · current · mug · capital · fan · mate · file

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. file — a document
  4. capital — money
  5. current — of water
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mug — a face
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. file — a tool
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mug — a cup
  18. capital — a city
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cold — not warm

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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