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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rock — a stone
  4. prune — to trim
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rock — music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lean — thin
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pit — in a race
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. content — the amount
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. tear — to rip
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. content — happy
  23. lean — to bend
  24. content — videos and posts

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