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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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 — to rip
  2. field — a subject
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. field — farmland
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. charge — in control
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — for sport
  12. rock — a stone
  13. charge — electricity
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. charge — a price
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rock — music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. saw — the tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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