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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: pop · wake · current · arm · shower · pit · staff · hand

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — help
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pop — music
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pop — to visit
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. shower — to wash
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. current — happening now
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wake — a trail
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. staff — employees
  21. pop — soda
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hand — in cards

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