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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. press — to push
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. object — an aim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. tube — the underground
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tube — a container
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. object — to protest
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. object — a thing
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — from crying
  21. can — to be able to
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. can — a tin
  24. press — a publisher

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