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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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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 ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ball — a dance
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lean — to bend
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — thin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. safe — out of danger

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