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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. object — an aim
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. object — a thing
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wake — a trail
  17. tear — to rip
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. object — to protest
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wound — an injury

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