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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: present · tear · stem · mouse · nail · chest

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. present — a gift
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chest — of your body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chest — a box
  17. present — there
  18. stem — to come from

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