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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. prune — to trim
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. branch — a division
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — in a road
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. current — electric

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