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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rest — a break
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — from crying
  6. band — a ring
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bear — the animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spell — magic
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. band — a music group
  21. spell — letters
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. spell — a short time

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