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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — to push
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. press — newspapers
  10. band — a music group
  11. capital — a city
  12. tear — to rip
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a trace
  16. band — a ring
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — a grade
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mate — a partner
  24. press — a publisher

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