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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. prune — to trim
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rule — government
  14. tear — from crying
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rule — a law

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