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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.

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: lie · fork · prune · mine · current · rush · spring · fine

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. current — happening now
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. current — electric
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rush — a thrill

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