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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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Word bank
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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: suit · can · prune · cell · cue · tear · degree · dip

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. can — a tin
  3. tear — from crying
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — a hint
  7. suit — in cards
  8. can — a tin
  9. tear — from crying
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cue — a signal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cell — a phone
  19. dip — to sink
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cue — for pool
  23. suit — clothes
  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