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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: prune · chest · rash · mouse · bay · chair · shower · fine

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rash — a series
  7. shower — rain
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fine — all right
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chest — a box
  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