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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. tear — from crying
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. file — a document
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. file — a tool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. saw — the tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. file — a line of people
  23. tear — to rip
  24. lie — an untruth

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