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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: straw · prune · wake · stem · nail · toast · shower · charge

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. prune — to trim
  3. shower — to wash
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. prune — to trim
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. charge — a price
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stem — to come from
  13. charge — in control
  14. shower — rain
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. toast — bread
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wake — a trail
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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