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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.

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: land · spell · prune · calf · leaves · current · can · rash

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spell — magic
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spell — a short time
  17. can — a tin
  18. current — happening now
  19. land — ground
  20. spell — letters
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. can — to be able to
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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