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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: calf · fall · stem · pound · tear · spring · court · bay

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stem — to come from
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. tear — from crying
  13. court — of a king
  14. pound — a weight
  15. court — for sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spring — the season
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. spring — of water
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. court — of law
  23. fall — the season
  24. tear — from crying

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