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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 116 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: current · trunk · bear · prune · net · mug · wake · shower

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mug — a face
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. net — for catching
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — of water
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. current — happening now
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mug — a cup
  13. shower — rain
  14. prune — to trim
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wake — a trail
  17. net — after costs
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — electric
  24. net — in sport

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