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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · plane · tear · pop · bear · lean · season · fall

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fall — to drop
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fall — the season
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. season — of the year
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lean — to bend
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — soda
  14. plane — a tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — thin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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