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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bank — for money
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — thin
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. last — final
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tear — from crying
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lean — to bend

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