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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
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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: leaves · stem · rush · fan · mine · current · court · dip

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. court — of law
  5. current — happening now
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. current — electric
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. court — for sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. current — of water
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. court — of a king
  23. mine — for digging
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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