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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: wind · current · prune · lean · bank · fall · pitcher · safe

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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. lean — to bend
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fall — to drop
  13. current — electric
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wind — moving air
  17. current — happening now
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — thin

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