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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. press — a publisher
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rush — hurry
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. dip — to sink
  12. press — to push
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. tear — from crying

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