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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: mate · current · dip · saw · prune · rest · coach · ball

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — electric
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ball — a great time
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rest — a break
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a friend
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mate — to breed
  19. current — happening now
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. current — of water
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mate — a partner

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