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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: pound · face · tube · prune · rock · shower · staff · plane

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. shower — rain
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. staff — a stick
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rock — a stone
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. prune — to trim
  14. face — to confront
  15. pound — a weight
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. face — part of the head
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rock — music
  24. prune — to trim

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