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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 ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. can — to be able to
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bound — certain
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mate — a partner
  18. can — a tin
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — to breed

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