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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bore — to tire
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bore — to drill
  8. capital — a city
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. capital — money
  11. tear — from crying
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. tear — to rip
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. tear — from crying
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chip — to eat

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