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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ball — a dance
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rock — music
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ball — a great time
  7. tear — to rip
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. last — finally
  17. pitch — completely
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bound — certain
  24. rock — to move gently

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