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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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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: current · clip · last · prune · can · craft · wind · suit

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. can — a tin
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wind — moving air
  6. last — finally
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. current — electric
  12. clip — to cut
  13. current — of water
  14. last — to go on
  15. can — a tin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. clip — a video
  18. suit — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. suit — to fit
  21. last — final
  22. current — happening now
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — to be able to

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