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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: fine · prune · lean · drill · cue · pop · fan · shower

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pop — soda
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cue — a hint
  10. prune — to trim
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fine — high quality
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lean — thin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pop — music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. drill — army training

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