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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. band — a ring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. charge — in control
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. press — to push
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — a company
  10. press — a publisher
  11. charge — a price
  12. tear — from crying
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — steady
  15. saw — the tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. band — a music group
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. charge — electricity
  23. firm — decided
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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