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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: bank · current · content · lie · present · cold · pound · kick

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. current — of water
  3. content — the amount
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. current — happening now
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. current — electric
  11. present — a gift
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. content — happy
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. present — the time now
  17. cold — an illness
  18. present — there
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — in football
  24. bank — for money

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