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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stem — to come from
  3. charge — in control
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — electricity
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. craft — boats
  11. fall — the season
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. deal — to handle
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. craft — a skill
  21. charge — a price
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. craft — a handicraft

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