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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. land — to come down
  3. rest — a break
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. land — ground
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mark — a trace
  12. tear — from crying
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. land — a country
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — for pool

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