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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 · leaves · dip · prune · mine · file · root · can

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. prune — to trim
  3. current — happening now
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. file — a document
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mine — for digging
  12. can — a tin
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. root — of a plant
  16. dip — to sink
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. current — electric
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — of water
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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