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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: rash · bulb · shower · track · nail · calf · bowl · prune

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. shower — rain
  3. track — a path
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. track — to keep track
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rash — hasty
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. shower — to wash
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. track — a song
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — a series

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