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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: safe · stem · ground · leaves · tear · lie · spring · fan

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. spring — of water
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ground — the earth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spring — a coil
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spring — the season

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