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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. track — a path
  5. tear — from crying
  6. suit — to fit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. lean — thin
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tear — from crying
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stem — to come from
  23. squash — the sport
  24. suit — in cards

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