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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: present · tube · staff · fan · saw · current · march · bound

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. present — there
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — the month
  6. current — electric
  7. saw — the tool
  8. current — of water
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bound — obliged
  13. march — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. staff — employees
  17. march — the month
  18. current — happening now
  19. tube — a container
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. present — the time now
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. present — a gift
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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