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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 116 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: spring · firm · tear · prune · lie · bay · bore · last

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. last — to go on
  5. bore — to tire
  6. last — final
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. spring — a coil
  9. firm — decided
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. tear — from crying
  13. last — finally
  14. firm — a company
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tear — from crying
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — steady
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. bore — to drill

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