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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tear — to rip
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. prune — to trim
  10. face — to confront
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rush — hurry
  17. face — part of the head
  18. season — of the year
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rush — to hurry

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