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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: racket · safe · bear · stem · mark · tear

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. tear — from crying
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mark — a grade
  18. racket — for tennis

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