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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: clip · mug · wave · shower · stand · prune · court · stick

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mug — to rob
  7. court — of a king
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. court — for sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — to bear
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mug — a face
  15. clip — a video
  16. court — of law
  17. mug — a cup
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. clip — for paper

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