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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stem — to come from
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ball — a dance
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. shower — rain
  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