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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: trunk · content · lie · band · plane · current · squash · patient

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. content — the amount
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — of water
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a music group
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. current — electric
  10. squash — the sport
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. content — happy
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. band — a ring
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — a tool
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. squash — to crush
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. patient — a sick person

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