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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 116 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 · stem · bay · prune · mark · hide · rock · cue

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. shower — to wash
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rock — music
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mark — a grade
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. shower — rain
  21. cue — a hint
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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