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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. net — in sport
  3. mark — a grade
  4. net — for catching
  5. prune — to trim
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. tear — from crying
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bound — obliged
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — certain
  14. tear — from crying
  15. net — after costs
  16. roll — a cake
  17. plane — a tool
  18. roll — a list
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bound — tied together

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