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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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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: suit · current · lie · tube · kid · content · object · rash

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. object — to protest
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — child
  10. content — the amount
  11. rash — a series
  12. content — happy
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. object — an aim
  15. suit — in cards
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. suit — to fit
  18. object — a thing
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tube — a container
  22. current — electric
  23. suit — clothes
  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