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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 · deal · shower · nail · rule · patient

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. shower — to wash
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. shower — rain
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — to handle
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — a law

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