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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: patient · hide · fine · trunk · prune · shower · leaves · deal

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. deal — to handle
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fine — all right
  19. shower — to wash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. shower — rain
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. deal — a big deal

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