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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lean — thin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. rule — government
  13. rock — music
  14. rule — a law
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — a tin
  17. court — of a king
  18. can — a tin
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. tear — from crying
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bass — low music
  24. rule — to rule out

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