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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: current · content · straw · ball · arm · cap · rest · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. current — electric
  3. ball — a great time
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cap — a lid
  6. content — happy
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cap — a hat
  12. suit — to fit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — the amount
  16. ball — a dance
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. current — of water
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rest — a break
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. current — happening now
  24. straw — dry grass

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