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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. present — there
  3. bank — for money
  4. current — happening now
  5. last — finally
  6. present — a gift
  7. bank — of a river
  8. last — final
  9. current — of water
  10. spell — letters
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. last — to go on
  14. spell — a short time
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. present — the time now
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — magic
  22. current — electric
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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