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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. current — happening now
  3. fine — all right
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. suit — clothes
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. suit — to fit
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. current — of water
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. band — a music group
  14. suit — in cards
  15. band — a ring
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. branch — a division
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — for digging

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