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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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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: cue · charge · cold · bay · pound · lash · prune · shower

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cue — for pool
  6. shower — to wash
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pound — a weight
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. shower — rain
  14. charge — a price
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cue — a hint
  20. charge — in control
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cold — an illness
  24. prune — the fruit

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