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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: tear · date · mate · track · lean · prune · fork · bay

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. lean — thin
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mate — to breed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. track — a path
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mate — a partner

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