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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: deal · leaves · prune · lash · toast · current · mouse · capital

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — to trim
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. current — electric
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. capital — a city
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. toast — bread
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. current — happening now
  24. deal — an agreement

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