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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bat — the animal
  4. object — an aim
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. tear — from crying
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stem — to come from
  10. object — to protest
  11. snap — to click
  12. track — to keep track
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pit — in a race
  16. track — a path
  17. tear — from crying
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pit — a hole
  23. track — a song
  24. hide — animal skin

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