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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: arm · prune · charge · shower · spring · trunk · pass · mouse

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. shower — to wash
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. prune — to trim
  11. charge — in control
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. charge — a price
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pass — a permit
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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