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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: current · prune · pass · field · clip · branch · snap · wax

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. prune — to trim
  8. field — for sport
  9. current — happening now
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pass — a permit
  12. clip — to cut
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. field — a subject
  19. branch — a division
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. clip — a video
  24. field — farmland

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