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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: rest · dip · cabinet · shower · prune · hand · present · season

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. season — of the year
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. present — the time now
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. present — a gift
  7. hand — in cards
  8. present — there
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. shower — rain
  13. hand — help
  14. dip — to sink
  15. season — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — to trim
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. prune — to trim
  21. shower — to wash
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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