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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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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. press — to push
  6. land — ground
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. land — a country
  9. press — a publisher
  10. land — to come down
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. capital — money
  14. fork — in a road
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. tear — from crying
  18. press — newspapers
  19. roll — a list
  20. capital — a city
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — in sport
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pass — to succeed

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