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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 · trunk · wake · lean · current · swing · stem · fan

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stem — to come from
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lean — thin
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. swing — to play on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lean — to bend
  16. current — happening now
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. current — electric
  19. swing — music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. swing — in golf
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. current — of water

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