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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 120 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: cell · wake · board · file · current · nail · dip · land

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. current — of water
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wake — a trail
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — to come down
  7. file — a line of people
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. current — happening now
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. file — a document
  15. board — a committee
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — electric
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. file — a tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cell — in biology

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