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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: bulb · cell · march · kick · content · current · stand · hide

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cell — in biology
  6. content — the amount
  7. current — of water
  8. content — happy
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. march — music
  14. current — happening now
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stand — to bear
  17. current — electric
  18. cell — a phone
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. march — the month
  24. cell — in a prison

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