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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 120 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: ball · current · cap · prune · tear · dip · lash · branch

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — electric
  3. tear — to rip
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. branch — a division
  7. dip — to sink
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. current — happening now
  12. cap — a lid
  13. current — of water
  14. ball — a dance
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tear — from crying
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cap — of ice
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cap — a hat
  24. dip — to dunk

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