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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 · lean · fan · tear · mark · suit · rash · hand

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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 — from crying
  2. rash — a series
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. tear — from crying
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lean — thin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rash — hasty
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lean — to bend
  23. suit — to fit
  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