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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tear — from crying
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — low music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bass — the fish

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