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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
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: bay · leaves · fan · present · file · current · prune · calf

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. current — of water
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. file — a document
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. present — the time now
  22. file — a line of people
  23. current — happening now
  24. file — a tool

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