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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. land — ground
  3. mate — a partner
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — to push
  6. can — a tin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mate — to breed
  9. tear — to rip
  10. land — to come down
  11. can — a tin
  12. pop — soda
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. land — a country
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mate — a friend
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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