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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: prune · can · tear · object · stand · wake · season · date

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. object — a thing
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — of the year
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. object — an aim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stand — to bear
  17. can — a tin
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. date — the fruit
  20. object — to protest
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. season — in sport
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wake — a trail

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