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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rock — a stone
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cold — an illness
  6. present — there
  7. firm — decided
  8. rule — a law
  9. present — the time now
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. firm — a company
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rule — government
  17. press — newspapers
  18. present — a gift
  19. rock — music
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. firm — steady
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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