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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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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 · rest · cabinet · leaves · prune · toast · wake · hide

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. toast — bread
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wake — a trail
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rest — a break
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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