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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fall — the season
  3. key — in music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. current — happening now
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fall — to drop
  10. key — for a lock
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. current — electric
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. key — the most important part
  22. date — the fruit
  23. current — of water
  24. tear — from crying

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