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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. deal — to handle
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. press — to push
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. row — a line
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tear — from crying
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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