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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. press — a publisher
  4. row — to paddle
  5. press — to push
  6. firm — a company
  7. tear — to rip
  8. firm — decided
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. row — a line
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. firm — steady
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. date — the fruit
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. press — newspapers

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