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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · bowl · bound · date · kid · stem · tear · rush

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. kid — to tease
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kid — child
  24. stem — to come from

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