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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: straw · wake · mug · rush · prune · current · fan · bulb

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mug — to rob
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mug — a cup
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — a face
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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