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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. tear — from crying
  8. root — of a plant
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. root — of a word
  15. bulb — for light
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — the cause
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. tear — to rip
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pass — a permit
  24. hand — help

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