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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: current · clip · perch · fall · object · stand · rash · content

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. clip — a video
  4. current — of water
  5. rash — a series
  6. fall — the season
  7. current — happening now
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. object — an aim
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. clip — to cut
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. object — to protest
  19. current — electric
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. clip — for paper
  22. stand — to bear
  23. object — a thing
  24. stand — for spectators

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