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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kick — in football
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mate — a friend
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mate — to breed
  11. tear — to rip
  12. cold — an illness
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mate — a partner
  17. face — part of the head
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. face — to confront
  21. stem — to come from
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cold — not warm

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