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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — electric
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mug — to rob
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mug — a face
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — help
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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