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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: leaves · trunk · current · dip · squash · prune · sharp · can

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. can — a tin
  3. current — happening now
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. squash — the sport
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. can — to be able to
  20. dip — to sink
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. leaves — of a tree

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