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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: current · lean · content · saw · sharp · mine · ruler · prune

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — electric
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mine — for digging
  16. current — of water
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. current — happening now
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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