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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ground — the earth
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. ground — a position
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rule — government
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fine — all right
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ground — crushed
  24. tear — to rip

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