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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. stem — to come from
  6. tear — from crying
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. firm — steady
  9. sharp — clever
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. object — an aim
  14. last — to go on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. firm — a company
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. suit — clothes
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. firm — decided
  24. perch — the fish

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