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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bank — for money
  3. tear — from crying
  4. last — to go on
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bulb — for light
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bank — for money
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stem — to come from
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bank — of a river
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. bulb — for light

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