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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bank — for money
  6. charge — a price
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stem — to come from
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. content — happy
  12. last — to go on
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. charge — in control
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. last — final
  22. bank — for money
  23. last — finally
  24. charge — electricity

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