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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. drill — the tool
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. press — newspapers
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fine — all right
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. row — a line
  14. pass — a permit
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — army training
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. drill — a practice
  24. tear — from crying

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