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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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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: bay · cell · current · leaves · present · arm · fall · content

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. current — electric
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. current — of water
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cell — in biology
  9. present — there
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. content — happy
  13. current — happening now
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. content — the amount
  20. present — the time now
  21. fall — the season
  22. cell — a phone
  23. present — a gift
  24. leaves — lets stay

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