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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: rest · patient · prune · shower · safe · bark · scale · ruler

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. shower — rain
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — in music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rest — what's left
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bark — to shout
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. shower — to wash
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — size or range

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