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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — to rob
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — a cup
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mug — a face
  14. tear — from crying
  15. press — to push
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. object — to protest
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. object — a thing
  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