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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pass — a permit
  7. object — an aim
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. object — a thing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — for catching
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. tear — from crying
  18. net — in sport
  19. object — to protest
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bear — the animal

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