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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · fall · object · fan · march · plane · wind · band

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. current — electric
  3. fall — to drop
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. object — a thing
  8. fall — the season
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. current — of water
  13. band — a ring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — the month
  17. band — a music group
  18. fall — to drop
  19. object — to protest
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. plane — a tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. band — a rubber band

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