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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fall — the season
  4. cap — a lid
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fall — to drop
  11. prune — to trim
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cap — a hat
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — of ice
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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