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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 120 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: last · shower · mark · prune · fall · drill · dip · stand

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fall — the season
  5. dip — to sink
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. shower — rain
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — army training
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. prune — to trim
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mark — a trace
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — a grade
  19. drill — the tool
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stand — to bear

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