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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
468
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: chest · arm · can · present · band · current · content · prune

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. can — a tin
  3. current — electric
  4. can — to be able to
  5. present — a gift
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a ring
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. present — there
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. content — the amount
  12. can — a tin
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. chest — of your body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. content — happy
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a music group
  21. present — the time now
  22. chest — a box
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. current — of water

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