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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 116 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: ball · current · shower · mouse · wake · cue · object · prune

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. object — an aim
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — a thing
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. object — to protest
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. current — of water
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ball — a dance

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