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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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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: wind · current · trunk · march · cabinet · fall · charge · tube

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fall — the season
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. current — happening now
  7. march — the month
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. charge — in control
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tube — a container
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. march — music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. charge — a price
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. wind — moving air

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