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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. tear — from crying
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cap — of ice
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — in sport
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cap — a lid
  12. tear — to rip
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. date — the fruit
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. net — after costs
  20. club — a group
  21. net — for catching
  22. vault — a safe
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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