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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. root — of a word
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rock — a stone
  15. root — the cause
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rock — music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fine — all right
  24. tear — to rip

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