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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tear — to rip
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. branch — a division
  15. deal — to handle
  16. game — a match
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. kick — in football
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — wild animals
  24. safe — a strongbox

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