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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · prune · kick · cabinet · dip · tear · mate · toast

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. tear — to rip
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. toast — bread
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tear — from crying
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tear — from crying
  9. kick — in football
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rest — what's left
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mate — to breed
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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