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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.

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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: net · wave · current · prune · temple · object · fan · land

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. prune — to trim
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — a thing
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — after costs
  12. current — electric
  13. land — ground
  14. object — to protest
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. current — of water
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. land — a country
  22. current — happening now
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. object — an aim

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