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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. press — to push
  3. tear — from crying
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spell — magic
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — letters
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fork — in a road
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. prune — to trim

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