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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: hand · stick · prune · drill · wound · bowl · lean · current

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — electric
  3. lean — to bend
  4. drill — the tool
  5. hand — help
  6. current — of water
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. current — happening now
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bowl — a dish

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