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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tear — from crying
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. can — a tin
  18. tear — from crying
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rock — music

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