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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. tear — to rip
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — of law
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fall — to drop
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. court — for sport
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. staff — employees
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. prune — to trim
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. court — of a king
  24. fall — to drop

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