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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: key · deal · lean · shower · wave · fall · root · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. prune — to trim
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fall — the season
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. prune — to trim
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — rain
  17. root — of a word
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lean — thin
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. root — the cause
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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