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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 · pass · prune · spell · bear · cap · shower · firm

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. shower — rain
  5. spell — letters
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. firm — a company
  13. pass — a permit
  14. current — electric
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. firm — decided
  21. spell — magic
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. firm — steady

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