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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: pass · prune · mark · cabinet · last · fan · mine · shower

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. prune — to trim

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