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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. file — a document
  6. tear — to rip
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tear — from crying
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. file — a line of people
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. file — a tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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