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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 120 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rest — what's left
  3. track — a path
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — electricity
  6. tear — to rip
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. rest — a break
  10. bank — for money
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. track — a song
  14. hand — help
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. track — to keep track
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stem — to come from
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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