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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: wind · can · current · sharp · fan · leaves · bore · stick

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — to drill
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. current — electric
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — of water
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. can — to be able to
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — of a tree

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