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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: track · craft · shower · press · mouse · land · leaves · prune

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. prune — to trim
  3. land — to come down
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. shower — rain
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. land — ground
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. land — a country
  12. track — a path
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. press — to push
  20. prune — to trim
  21. track — a song
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. craft — boats

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