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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: file · fine · shower · pass · mouse · wake · prune · lean

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. shower — rain
  3. fine — all right
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. prune — to trim
  7. file — a tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a document
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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