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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. tear — from crying
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spell — letters
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — magic
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pitch — completely
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spell — a short time
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. prune — the fruit

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