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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rest — a break
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rest — what's left
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — completely
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rest — what's left
  24. shower — rain

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