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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mine — for digging
  3. current — happening now
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. current — electric
  6. scale — in music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. current — of water
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fan — a supporter

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