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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spring — the season
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. press — newspapers
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stand — to bear
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spring — of water
  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