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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
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: jam · bear · leaves · wave · mark · prune · shower · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — a grade
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bear — the animal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. prune — to trim
  17. shower — rain
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mark — a trace
  22. shower — to wash
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bear — the animal

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