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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pit — in a race
  12. tear — from crying
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — to push
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rule — a law
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rule — government
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lie — to recline
  24. press — newspapers

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