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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.

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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: prune · land · object · rest · bowl · mouse · safe · shower

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — to wash
  3. land — to come down
  4. rest — a break
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. object — to protest
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. land — ground
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. shower — rain
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. prune — to trim
  20. object — an aim
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. land — a country
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rest — what's left

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