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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's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. press — a publisher
  4. staff — a stick
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. press — to push
  9. bass — low music
  10. staff — employees
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bass — the fish
  14. press — newspapers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tear — to rip
  20. staff — employees
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bowl — a dish

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