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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wake — a trail
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. track — a song
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tear — from crying

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