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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: prune · cabinet · current · branch · rush · content · cap · cold

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. content — happy
  7. current — happening now
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. current — electric
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. current — of water
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. content — the amount
  22. branch — a division
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cap — of ice

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