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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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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: stem · wake · current · fan · leaves · plane · pop · bound

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pop — music
  7. current — happening now
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pop — soda
  16. current — of water
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pop — to visit
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bound — certain
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stem — to come from
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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