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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — a division
  9. stem — to come from
  10. roll — a list
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lie — to recline
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cap — a hat
  18. last — final
  19. cap — of ice
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rest — a break
  23. branch — of a tree
  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