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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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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. current — happening now
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. current — of water
  10. rock — music
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. current — electric
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — a division
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. prune — to trim
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rock — a stone
  23. field — a subject
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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