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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: bear · prune · tear · rule · root · fan · lie · mine

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. root — of a word
  6. rule — government
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bear — the animal
  9. root — the cause
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rule — a law
  15. lie — to recline
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — for digging

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