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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
468
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: fine · current · object · content · tube · lean · net · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. object — a thing
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. object — an aim
  5. current — happening now
  6. tube — a container
  7. lean — thin
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. net — in sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. net — for catching
  17. lean — to bend
  18. object — to protest
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cold — not warm
  21. content — the amount
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. content — happy
  24. net — after costs

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