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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: prune · wave · file · shower · trunk · degree · staff · fine

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. degree — an amount
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fine — all right
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. file — a tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. staff — employees
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. shower — rain
  22. prune — to trim
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fine — high quality

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