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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: lie · content · pass · current · bulb · cabinet · shower · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. shower — to wash
  3. content — the amount
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bulb — for light
  6. shower — rain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cold — not warm
  9. current — of water
  10. cold — an illness
  11. current — happening now
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. content — happy
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. current — electric
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pass — to spend time

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