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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. club — for golf
  6. rash — a series
  7. shower — rain
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rash — hasty
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — certain
  12. craft — boats
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. club — for dancing
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. craft — a skill
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bound — tied together
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. press — to push
  23. bound — obliged
  24. club — a group

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