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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: spring · bore · stem · saw · kid · tear · mark · bear

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stem — to come from
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spring — a coil
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kid — child
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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