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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. tear — from crying
  3. degree — from a university
  4. present — a gift
  5. tear — from crying
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lean — thin
  11. charge — a price
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. degree — an amount
  21. tear — to rip
  22. charge — in control
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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