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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: stick · trunk · hand · safe · prune · spring · current · face

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — help
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — part of the head
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — electric
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. hand — in cards
  12. current — of water
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spring — the season
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. current — happening now
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. spring — a coil
  19. face — to confront
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. spring — of water
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. face — to point toward

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