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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. press — newspapers
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. press — to push
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spell — magic
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — letters
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spell — a short time
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — for betting
  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