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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · object · land · content · rash · arm · current · toast

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. current — happening now
  4. file — a tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. land — ground
  11. rash — a series
  12. land — to come down
  13. current — electric
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. object — an aim
  18. file — a document
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. content — happy
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. current — of water
  24. file — a line of people

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