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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: date · shower · nail · dip · lie · cap · prune · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. date — the fruit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cap — a hat
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lie — to recline
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. shower — rain
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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