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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rock — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rock — a stone
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bark — to shout
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pass — a permit

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