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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: can · lie · calf · straw · shower · prune · rush · bear

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. prune — to trim
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. can — a tin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. shower — rain
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bear — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — to put up with

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