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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: ball · wave · key · prune · hand · patient · coach · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. prune — to trim
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. shower — rain
  5. ball — a great time
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hand — help
  8. key — the most important part
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. key — in music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. shower — to wash
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hand — in cards

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