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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. object — a thing
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lean — thin
  8. object — an aim
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bound — obliged
  15. object — to protest
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stock — shares
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bound — certain
  23. stock — goods
  24. lean — to rest against

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