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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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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: bear · lie · club · season · fork · tear · stem · pound

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — a group
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bear — the animal
  8. club — for golf
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. season — of the year
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. season — in sport
  20. tear — from crying
  21. club — for dancing
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lie — an untruth

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