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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 120 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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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: mouse · tear · prune · cue · shower · fine · court · bear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bear — the animal
  7. shower — rain
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fine — all right
  10. court — of a king
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. prune — to trim
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cue — for pool
  17. court — for sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. court — of law
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mouse — the animal

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