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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. board — to get on
  4. wax — to grow
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. court — of law
  7. board — a committee
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. press — a publisher
  11. file — a document
  12. press — to push
  13. file — a line of people
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. rock — a stone
  17. press — newspapers
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. file — a tool
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rock — music

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