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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bass — low music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — the fish
  11. land — a country
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. key — in music
  15. bank — for money
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. land — to come down
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pass — a permit
  22. key — for a lock
  23. land — ground
  24. bank — for money

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