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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. tear — from crying
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. tear — from crying
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stand — to bear
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stand — on your feet

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