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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stem — to come from
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. content — happy
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. fall — to drop
  13. field — farmland
  14. fall — to drop
  15. field — a subject
  16. firm — steady
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fall — the season
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. firm — a company
  22. field — for sport
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. firm — decided

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