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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. branch — a division
  10. current — of water
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. current — electric
  14. lean — thin
  15. foot — a measure
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. shower — to wash
  19. prune — to trim
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. current — happening now
  24. lean — to rest against

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