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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.

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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: mine · mate · suit · net · trunk · stem · current · craft

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — after costs
  6. current — electric
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. net — for catching
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. current — happening now
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mine — for digging
  15. craft — a skill
  16. suit — clothes
  17. craft — boats
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. net — in sport
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stem — to come from

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