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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stem — to come from
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. file — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. file — a line of people
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — a division
  20. plane — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. stem — of a plant

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