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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pop — to visit
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — to handle
  6. clip — a video
  7. pop — music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. prune — to trim
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. clip — for paper
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bank — for money
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. firm — steady
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pop — soda
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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