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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · current · jam · leaves · pound · wind · shower · bulb

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — rain
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — a weight
  14. shower — to wash
  15. current — electric
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. current — happening now
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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