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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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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: current · race · cabinet · nail · firm · wind · cell · content

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. content — the amount
  3. wind — moving air
  4. race — humankind
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. race — the arms race
  13. firm — a company
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. firm — steady
  17. race — a contest
  18. firm — decided
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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