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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. object — a thing
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. craft — a skill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. tear — to rip
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. craft — boats
  16. prune — to trim
  17. capital — a city
  18. object — an aim
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fork — in a road
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. prune — to trim

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