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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 116 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: ball · suit · leaves · shower · season · cue · lash · prune

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. season — of the year
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cue — a hint
  9. shower — rain
  10. cue — for pool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ball — a great time
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ball — a dance
  18. suit — clothes
  19. season — in sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ball — a round shape

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