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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: safe · stem · ground · leaves · tear · lie

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lie — to recline
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stem — to come from
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ground — a position
  18. lie — an untruth

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