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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. board — a committee
  12. object — to protest
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mine — for digging
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. object — an aim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — to get on
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pit — in a race
  24. object — a thing

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