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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: bark · bank · season · mate · prune · shower · spell · suit

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. shower — rain
  5. bank — of a river
  6. season — of the year
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mate — to breed
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bank — for money
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. spell — magic
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — for money
  17. season — in sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mate — a partner
  22. spell — letters
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bark — to shout

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