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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. fall — the season
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. toast — bread
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tear — from crying
  7. firm — a company
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. press — to push
  14. tear — from crying
  15. branch — a division
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. tear — to rip
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. branch — of a bank
  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