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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. march — music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. march — the month
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tear — to rip
  18. march — the month
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pop — soda
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bear — the animal
  24. safe — a strongbox

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