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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 120 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
468
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 · sharp · prune · cue · dip · lash · mouse · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. shower — to wash
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. sharp — clever
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. shower — rain
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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