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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. rash — hasty
  3. tear — to rip
  4. club — a group
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rash — a series
  9. mark — a grade
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. club — for golf
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pit — a hole
  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