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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.

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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: straw · prune · fork · rock · shower · present · suit · staff

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fork — in a road
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — music
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. present — there
  8. shower — to wash
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rock — a stone
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. staff — a stick
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. prune — to trim
  17. shower — rain
  18. staff — employees
  19. present — the time now
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. prune — to trim
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rock — to move gently

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