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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · wind · current · content · arm · pop · spell · hide

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pop — soda
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spell — letters
  5. firm — a company
  6. pop — to visit
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — a short time
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wind — moving air
  17. current — electric
  18. pop — music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. spell — magic
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. current — happening now
  24. hide — to keep secret

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