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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: prune · last · fall · pound · shower · can · cabinet · current

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. current — of water
  4. fall — the season
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fall — to drop
  10. last — final
  11. can — a tin
  12. shower — rain
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. can — to be able to
  16. current — happening now
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — a tin
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. current — electric

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