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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 · shower · mug · hide · wax · cue

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mug — a face
  3. cue — a signal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. hide — to keep secret

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