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

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. 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 — to rip
  2. press — newspapers
  3. kid — child
  4. dip — to sink
  5. board — a committee
  6. press — a publisher
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. board — to get on
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cell — a phone
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. tear — from crying
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kid — to tease
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cell — in biology
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. press — to push
  23. suit — in cards
  24. 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