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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. file — a line of people
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rush — hurry
  7. shower — to wash
  8. file — a document
  9. prune — to trim
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. current — happening now
  12. file — a tool
  13. shower — rain
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cap — of ice
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cap — a hat
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. squash — the vegetable

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