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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.

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: foot · patient · prune · cap · leaves · trunk · straw · shower

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. foot — a measure
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cap — of ice
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a hat
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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