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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: hide · suit · coach · rest · wax · prune · shower · pop

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pop — music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. shower — to wash
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rest — what's left
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. shower — rain
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rest — a break
  22. wax — to grow
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pop — to visit

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