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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
468
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 · spring · suit · wind · capital · hand · safe · prune

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — of water
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. capital — a city
  7. current — electric
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. current — happening now
  14. hand — in cards
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. capital — money
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. current — of water
  24. suit — to fit

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