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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rule — a law
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. craft — boats
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cap — a hat
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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