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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 · spring · bore · can · rest · fall · mark · prune

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — of water
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spring — a coil
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spring — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. current — happening now
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bore — to tire
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fall — the season
  24. can — a tin

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