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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stand — to bear
  6. tear — from crying
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rule — government
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. spell — magic
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — for spectators

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