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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: shower · foot · current · present · cue · last · cap · tube

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. last — finally
  3. tube — the underground
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. cap — a lid
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. last — final
  9. cue — a signal
  10. present — the time now
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cap — a hat
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. last — to go on
  20. shower — to wash
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. tube — a container
  23. cap — of ice
  24. foot — a measure

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