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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: cell · current · content · band · fine · rash · can · bore

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cell — a phone
  3. content — happy
  4. band — a music group
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rash — a series
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. can — a tin
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. content — the amount
  15. can — a tin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. can — to be able to

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