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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. tear — from crying
  5. suit — clothes
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stem — to come from
  12. tube — a container
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. present — a gift
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. present — there
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. present — the time now
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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