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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · kid · stem · pound · rash · tear

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. 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. stem — a stem cell
  2. kid — child
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rash — a series
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. kid — to tease
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. 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