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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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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: degree · root · bay · prune · shower · cabinet · lash · club

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. club — a group
  7. root — of a word
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. club — for golf
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. prune — to trim
  14. degree — temperature
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. root — of a plant
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. root — the cause
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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