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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fine — all right
  3. prune — to trim
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tear — to rip
  6. prune — to trim
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. mark — a trace
  10. row — a line
  11. tear — from crying
  12. saw — the tool
  13. firm — a company
  14. fine — high quality
  15. firm — steady
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. object — to protest
  20. mark — a grade
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. firm — decided
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. saw — the tool

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