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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fall — to drop
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — the season
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stock — goods
  8. object — an aim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. object — to protest
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. squash — the sport
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. object — a thing
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. squash — the vegetable

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