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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: content · current · hide · nail · game · object · lean · bear

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. content — the amount
  3. object — to protest
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. object — an aim
  6. game — wild animals
  7. current — of water
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — happening now
  10. game — a match
  11. lean — to bend
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — electric
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lean — thin
  19. content — happy
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. nail — on a finger

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