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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. bulb — for light
  3. stem — to come from
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. can — a tin
  10. staff — employees
  11. press — to push
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. can — a tin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tear — from crying
  23. staff — employees
  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