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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. firm — steady
  2. fork — in a road
  3. tear — to rip
  4. press — a publisher
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. press — to push
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. firm — a company
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. clip — for paper
  21. firm — decided
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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