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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: rest · spring · prune · nail · tear · foot · roll · can

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. foot — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — the season
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tear — to rip
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rest — a break
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. spring — of water
  17. prune — to trim
  18. can — a tin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. roll — a list
  21. spring — a coil
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. can — to be able to
  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