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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. roll — a list
  3. tear — to rip
  4. prune — to trim
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. court — for sport
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. court — of a king
  20. roll — a cake
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lean — thin
  23. court — of law
  24. lean — to bend

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