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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. current — happening now
  3. cap — of ice
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cap — a hat
  7. current — of water
  8. row — to paddle
  9. chest — of your body
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chest — a box
  13. cap — a lid
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. branch — a division
  19. current — electric
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. chest — of your body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. row — a line
  24. prune — to trim

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