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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: shower · wave · prune · bulb · bay · ruler · coach · field

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. field — a subject
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. field — farmland
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. shower — rain
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. shower — to wash
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. field — for sport

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