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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: mug · ball · fan · shower · lean · prune · leaves · bay

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. prune — to trim
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. shower — rain
  24. mug — a face

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