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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — to trim
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — to protest
  7. bank — of a river
  8. tear — to rip
  9. object — an aim
  10. tear — from crying
  11. sharp — clever
  12. object — a thing
  13. tear — from crying
  14. foot — a measure
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bank — for money
  17. rock — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. foot — the bottom

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