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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mug — to rob
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tear — from crying
  8. track — a song
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mug — a cup
  11. face — part of the head
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. face — to confront
  18. rock — music
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mug — a face

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