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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 116 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: cold · prune · charge · dip · snap · lash · branch · current

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. charge — electricity
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. snap — to click
  7. branch — a division
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — a price
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cold — not warm
  15. charge — in control
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. prune — to trim
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cold — an illness
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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