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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. craft — boats
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. press — a publisher
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. press — to push
  22. craft — a skill
  23. tear — to rip
  24. nail — for a hammer

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