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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: current · fan · wake · bore · pitcher · roll · lie · prune

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. roll — a list
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. current — electric
  19. bore — to tire
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. roll — a cake
  23. current — of water
  24. fan — a supporter

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