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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: bay · coach · stick · bowl · shower · rule · prune · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rule — a law
  8. shower — rain
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rule — government
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. leaves — of a tree

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