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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 120 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: fan · fine · wind · cabinet · current · root · tube · can

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — moving air
  7. can — to be able to
  8. current — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. can — a tin
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. root — of a plant
  20. tube — a container
  21. root — of a word
  22. current — happening now
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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