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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: hide · cabinet · stock · face · shower · prune · foot · degree

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. face — to confront
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stock — goods
  13. foot — a measure
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. degree — an amount
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — rain
  23. stock — shares
  24. prune — to trim

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