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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. press — newspapers
  5. key — in music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wound — an injury
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tear — to rip
  18. branch — a division
  19. press — a publisher
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. press — to push
  24. branch — of a tree

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