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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 124 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. current — of water
  3. mark — a trace
  4. current — electric
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — to recline
  12. race — humankind
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pass — a permit
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. race — the arms race
  19. prune — to trim
  20. race — a contest
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — thin
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lie — an untruth

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