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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fork · prune · foot · shower · current · fall · plane · rash

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. shower — rain
  3. fall — the season
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — happening now
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — electric
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rash — hasty
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fall — to drop
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rash — a series
  16. foot — a measure
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fall — to drop
  22. current — of water
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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