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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. track — a path
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. firm — a company
  5. race — a contest
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. race — humankind
  13. firm — steady
  14. track — a song
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stem — to come from
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fork — in a road
  24. tear — to rip

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