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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 120 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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. suit — clothes
  3. object — to protest
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — a thing
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — magic
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. spell — a short time
  16. object — an aim
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — letters
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tear — to rip
  23. suit — in cards
  24. can — to be able to

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