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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cue — a hint
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rule — a law
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ground — the earth
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — a position
  20. cue — for pool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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