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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. current — of water
  4. squash — to crush
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. prune — to trim
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bank — of a river
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. current — happening now
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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