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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. present — a gift
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. present — there
  12. tear — from crying
  13. last — final
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — finally
  19. tear — to rip
  20. last — to go on
  21. present — the time now
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cabinet — ministers

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