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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tear — to rip
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tube — a container
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bank — for money
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bank — for money

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