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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 116 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
468
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: content · mine · net · leaves · current · squash · wind · vault

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. squash — the sport
  3. net — in sport
  4. current — of water
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. current — electric
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wind — moving air
  11. net — for catching
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mine — for digging
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. net — after costs
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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