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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: fall · nail · mouse · hand · prune · pitcher · face · shower

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fall — to drop
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — help
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fall — the season
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. shower — rain
  16. face — to confront
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. face — to point toward
  20. shower — to wash
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. hand — part of the body
  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