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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tear — from crying
  4. present — the time now
  5. fine — all right
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. present — a gift
  11. kick — in football
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. tear — from crying
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fine — high quality
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — there
  24. bowl — a football final

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