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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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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: shower · saw · rash · current · squash · prune · firm · bank

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. firm — steady
  4. rash — a series
  5. firm — a company
  6. current — of water
  7. bank — for money
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — happening now
  10. firm — decided
  11. current — electric
  12. shower — rain
  13. bank — of a river
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. shower — to wash
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bank — for money
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — to crush
  24. saw — the 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