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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · hide · shower · prune · content · net

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rule — government
  4. content — the amount
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. content — happy
  9. net — for catching
  10. prune — to trim
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. prune — the fruit
  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