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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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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: pop · rush · stem · tear · scale · calf · wake · fall

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. scale — in music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fall — the season
  11. pop — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pop — soda
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tear — from crying
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. tear — to rip

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