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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ground — crushed
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stem — to come from
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. ground — the earth
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ground — a position
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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