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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: last · craft · swing · prune · stem · fan · tube · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. last — finally
  3. tube — a container
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. current — electric
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. last — to go on
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — happening now
  12. craft — a skill
  13. tube — the underground
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. swing — in golf
  20. last — final
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — to come from
  23. craft — boats
  24. fan — to cool the air

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