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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. firm — steady
  3. drill — the tool
  4. firm — a company
  5. club — for golf
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stem — to come from
  8. drill — army training
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. tear — from crying
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. firm — decided
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. squash — the sport
  24. foot — a measure

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