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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. tear — from crying
  11. prune — to trim
  12. clip — a video
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. tear — from crying
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fork — in a road
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. suit — in cards

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