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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spell — letters
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — electric
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ground — crushed
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ground — the earth
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. ground — a position
  16. branch — a division
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spell — magic
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — to sink
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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