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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. press — a publisher
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. suit — to fit
  5. plane — a tool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — in cards
  8. court — of a king
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. press — to push
  11. court — of law
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — for sport
  16. rock — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wound — an injury

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