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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tear — to rip
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. suit — to fit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. game — a match
  12. suit — clothes
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — the amount
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. key — for a lock
  18. game — wild animals
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. content — happy
  21. tear — from crying
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. prune — to trim

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