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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: wave · fan · fork · mark · object · fall · current · lean

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. object — a thing
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fall — the season
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. current — electric
  12. fall — to drop
  13. current — happening now
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. object — to protest
  19. mark — a grade
  20. object — an aim
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lean — thin

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