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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mate — to breed
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tear — to rip
  14. spell — magic
  15. tear — from crying
  16. swing — in golf
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. suit — to fit
  21. spell — letters
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mate — a partner

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