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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 120 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: mug · rush · press · current · prune · lean · hand · shower

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rush — hurry
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lean — to bend
  8. press — to push
  9. shower — rain
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — electric
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mug — a cup
  14. prune — to trim
  15. shower — to wash
  16. current — happening now
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mug — a face
  21. press — newspapers
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. current — of water
  24. lean — thin

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