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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.

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: prune · present · foot · current · stem · toast · spring · wave

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — a coil
  6. toast — bread
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spring — the season
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. present — there
  12. current — of water
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. current — happening now
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. present — the time now
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. current — electric
  23. present — a gift
  24. prune — to trim

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