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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 120 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
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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: mouse · trunk · bound · fork · shower · prune · mine · bowl

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. shower — rain
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bound — certain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bound — tied together
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mouse — the animal

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