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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. craft — boats
  3. current — electric
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. tear — to rip
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stem — to come from
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wave — with your hand

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