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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stem — to come from
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. file — a line of people
  6. content — happy
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. face — to point toward
  14. file — a document
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. file — a tool
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stand — to bear
  24. face — to confront

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