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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: wound · prune · charge · current · shower · nail · coach · pass

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. current — happening now
  5. prune — to trim
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. current — of water
  9. pass — a permit
  10. shower — to wash
  11. current — electric
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. charge — electricity
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — rain
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. charge — in control
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — an injury

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