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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: kick · current · wake · deal · stick · prune · tube · board

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. current — of water
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. current — electric
  5. board — to get on
  6. wake — a trail
  7. tube — the underground
  8. prune — to trim
  9. kick — in football
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. deal — to handle
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — happening now
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. board — a committee

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