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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 120 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: tear · hide · firm · stem · bay · ground

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. firm — decided
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. firm — steady
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. ground — a position
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stem — to come from
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — the earth
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ground — crushed
  15. firm — a company
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying

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