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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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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 · wave · stick · date · craft · bank · bay · current

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. current — electric
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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