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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. firm — steady
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rash — a series
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rash — hasty
  22. game — a match
  23. tear — from crying
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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