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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
468
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: shower · stick · prune · sharp · wake · pound · ball · bear

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. prune — to trim
  3. shower — rain
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ball — a great time
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ball — a dance
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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