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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · prune · shower · mug · toast · plane · season · tube

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. toast — bread
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. season — in sport
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mug — a face
  16. tube — a container
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mug — a cup
  22. shower — rain
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. shower — to wash

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