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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 120 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: wave · current · content · cell · leaves · dip · cabinet · face

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. face — part of the head
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cell — a phone
  5. content — happy
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. current — happening now
  10. dip — to sink
  11. face — to confront
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to point toward
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wave — with your hand

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