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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: present · current · cue · rash · shower · snap · pit · prune

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. shower — rain
  3. current — electric
  4. present — the time now
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — there
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. shower — to wash
  9. snap — to click
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rash — a series
  15. pit — in a race
  16. present — a gift
  17. current — of water
  18. cue — a signal
  19. current — happening now
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — for pool
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pit — a hole

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