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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kid — child
  3. mark — a grade
  4. shower — to wash
  5. press — newspapers
  6. tear — from crying
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tear — to rip
  10. scale — in music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mark — a trace
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cue — for pool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. shower — rain
  22. cue — a signal
  23. press — to push
  24. mark — to pay attention

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