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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — thin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bank — of a river
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. current — happening now
  21. squash — to crush
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. current — of water
  24. bank — for money

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