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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. present — there
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tear — to rip
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. tear — from crying
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. tear — from crying
  15. present — a gift
  16. mark — a trace
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chair — a leader
  24. deal — an agreement

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