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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. plane — a tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. current — electric
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fall — to drop
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. current — happening now

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