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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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468
Word bank
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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: stem · rash · can · bat · tear · bay · drill · wound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rash — a series
  22. stem — to come from
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bay — a horse colour

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