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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.

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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: safe · prune · lie · current · row · stem · spell · lean

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lean — thin
  5. current — electric
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lean — to bend
  13. current — happening now
  14. lie — to recline
  15. row — a line
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spell — letters
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. row — to paddle

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