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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: hand · cap · sharp · fine · current · saw · clip · date

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. current — of water
  3. clip — a video
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hand — in cards
  6. date — the fruit
  7. clip — to cut
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cap — a lid
  12. current — happening now
  13. fine — high quality
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fine — all right
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. hand — help
  21. clip — for paper
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cap — a hat
  24. current — electric

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