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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. prune — to trim
  9. season — of the year
  10. mate — a partner
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. tear — to rip
  13. row — a line
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mate — to breed
  16. season — in sport
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tear — from crying
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. prune — the fruit

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