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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: content · current · march · pop · capital · lash · leaves · wake

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — of water
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. content — the amount
  7. capital — a city
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. march — music
  17. current — electric
  18. pop — soda
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. capital — money
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. content — happy
  23. current — happening now
  24. pop — music

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