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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stick · arm · dip · prune · date · mine · wake

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. dip — to sink
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. current — happening now
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mine — for digging
  10. current — of water
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wake — a trail
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — to dunk
  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