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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: prune · stand · current · dip · plane · wax · mine · file

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. plane — a tool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. current — electric
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. file — a document
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — of water
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wax — to grow
  23. file — a tool
  24. current — happening now

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