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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: date · sharp · leaves · fall · bulb · current · fan · saw

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. current — happening now
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fall — to drop
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — electric
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. current — of water
  24. bulb — for light

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