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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tear — to rip
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. tear — from crying
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pass — a permit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. plane — a tool
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rush — hurry
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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