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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 · cold · snap · branch · deal · ball · bulb · prune

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. current — happening now
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. current — electric
  5. prune — to trim
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. current — of water
  24. ball — a great time

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