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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wake — a trail
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. suit — clothes
  9. race — a contest
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. race — humankind
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. prune — to trim
  18. branch — a division
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. current — happening now
  22. suit — in cards
  23. race — the arms race
  24. calf — of the leg

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