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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: bass · perch · rule · wax · shower · prune · trunk · fan

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bass — low music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rule — a law
  9. perch — the fish
  10. prune — to trim
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. bass — the fish
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wax — to grow
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fan — a supporter

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