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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — a permit
  5. craft — boats
  6. kid — child
  7. fine — all right
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. kid — to tease
  16. snap — to click
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fine — high quality
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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