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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. tear — to rip
  3. object — to protest
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rest — a break
  8. ground — a position
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — the earth
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ground — crushed
  22. staff — a stick
  23. object — an aim
  24. prune — to trim

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