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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.

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: cell · club · bear · object · content · plane · rush · current

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. content — the amount
  3. current — happening now
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cell — a phone
  6. object — an aim
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. current — of water
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. object — a thing
  12. club — for dancing
  13. current — electric
  14. object — to protest
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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