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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: current · file · rash · band · craft · content · face · kick

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. content — the amount
  4. current — electric
  5. file — a tool
  6. rash — hasty
  7. craft — boats
  8. current — happening now
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. kick — in football
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rash — a series
  13. face — part of the head
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. face — to confront
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. current — of water
  20. file — a document
  21. face — to point toward
  22. content — happy
  23. file — a line of people
  24. band — a music group

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