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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. present — the time now
  8. bass — the fish
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — to paddle
  11. present — a gift
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bulb — for light
  14. present — there
  15. bass — low music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. row — a line
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — on a finger

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