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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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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: row · snap · hide · prune · arm · suit · wound · shower

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. snap — to click
  3. shower — to wash
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — clothes
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. suit — in cards
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. shower — rain
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. suit — to fit
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. prune — to trim
  24. row — a line

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