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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tear — from crying
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. clip — a video
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stand — to bear
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. clip — to cut
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. foot — a measure
  24. press — to push

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