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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 116 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: prune · shower · race · stock · pop · bay · leaves · safe

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stock — shares
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. pop — soda
  11. stock — goods
  12. shower — rain
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pop — music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pop — to visit
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. shower — to wash
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bay — a horse colour

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