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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · prune · season · shower · lie · arm · leaves · bore

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. shower — to wash
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bore — to tire
  13. prune — to trim
  14. shower — rain
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fall — to drop
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. season — of the year
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fall — the season

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