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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: dip · wake · bank · calf · prune · current · root · sharp

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. root — of a word
  3. current — happening now
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. current — of water
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. current — electric
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bank — of a river
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. root — of a plant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to sink
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. sharp — with an edge

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