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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: mouse · kid · charge · shower · suit · wake · prune · wave

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. shower — rain
  7. kid — to tease
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wake — a trail
  10. charge — in control
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. charge — a price
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. shower — to wash
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kid — child
  24. mouse — the animal

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