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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. tear — from crying
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tear — from crying
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spring — the season
  24. tear — to rip

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