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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bore — to tire
  3. press — to push
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fall — to drop
  6. firm — a company
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fall — the season
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. press — a publisher
  17. firm — steady
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. press — newspapers
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bore — to drill
  23. firm — decided
  24. prune — to trim

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