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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fall — the season
  6. spell — magic
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fine — high quality
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fine — all right
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. kid — child
  13. fall — to drop
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. spell — letters
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. kid — to tease

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