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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. net — for catching
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. net — after costs
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — government
  14. tear — from crying
  15. deal — to handle
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bound — tied together
  19. net — in sport
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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