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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: cabinet · prune · bulb · bark · lash · shower · present · nail

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bark — to shout
  5. present — a gift
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — rain
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. present — the time now
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. prune — to trim
  23. present — there
  24. bulb — for light

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