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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: cell · wave · bass · current · lie · hand · content · rush

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. current — electric
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bass — the fish
  11. current — happening now
  12. hand — help
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. content — happy
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bass — low music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. content — the amount
  22. cell — a phone
  23. current — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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