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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.

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: leaves · fan · trunk · sharp · cold · craft · rush · current

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. current — of water
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cold — an illness
  9. current — happening now
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rush — hurry
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cold — not warm
  19. craft — boats
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. current — electric

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