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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 120 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: stem · tear · firm · fine · lean · content · bore · can

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fine — high quality
  5. can — a tin
  6. firm — a company
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. content — happy
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. firm — steady
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lean — thin
  13. content — the amount
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bore — to drill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fine — all right
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lean — to bend
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. firm — decided

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