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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tear — from crying
  7. present — a gift
  8. rush — hurry
  9. present — there
  10. fall — the season
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. tear — to rip
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stem — to come from
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. present — the time now

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