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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: nail · mark · date · stem · current · hide · cap · game

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mark — a grade
  5. game — wild animals
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. current — happening now
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. current — electric
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cap — of ice
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stem — to come from
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. date — the fruit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. game — a match

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