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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: board · shower · game · date · prune · lie · bay · leaves

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. date — the fruit
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. game — a match
  6. board — a committee
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. game — wild animals
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lie — to recline
  19. board — to get on
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. game — a kind of play

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