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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stem — to come from
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. tear — to rip
  8. kick — in football
  9. lean — thin
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. jam — in traffic

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