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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — there
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — the time now
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. plane — a tool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. net — after costs
  18. last — final
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. last — to go on
  22. present — a gift
  23. last — finally
  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