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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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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: pass · can · plane · shower · mug · current · squash · wake

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. can — a tin
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wake — a trail
  13. current — electric
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. shower — rain
  18. pass — a permit
  19. can — to be able to
  20. shower — to wash
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mug — a cup

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