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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: bear · pass · plane · scale · tear · prune · cap · file

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. tear — from crying
  3. scale — in music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bear — the animal
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cap — of ice
  13. file — a line of people
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pass — a permit
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cap — a lid
  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