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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. current — happening now
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. spell — magic
  9. fall — to drop
  10. branch — a division
  11. fall — the season
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fall — to drop
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. current — of water
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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