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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 116 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pop — music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. staff — employees
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pop — to visit
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. staff — employees
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pound — a weight
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pop — soda

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