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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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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: straw · prune · bay · bulb · roll · leaves · shower · pop

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pop — to visit
  5. shower — to wash
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pop — music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — to trim
  12. shower — rain
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pop — soda
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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