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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. tear — to rip
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — to sink
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. tear — from crying
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tear — from crying
  24. nail — for a hammer

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