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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mark — a trace
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pound — a weight
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wound — an injury
  23. press — to push
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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