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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · wind · current · vault · stem · ruler

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. current — happening now
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. prune — to trim
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — of water
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — electric
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — a stem cell

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