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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: wave · jam · pop · can · spring · prune · spell · shower

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — the season
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pop — soda
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. spring — of water
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. can — to be able to
  15. shower — to wash
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — to visit
  18. shower — rain
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — music
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spell — letters
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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