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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rush — hurry
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lean — to bend
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — steady
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — thin
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. firm — decided
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. tear — to rip

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