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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. club — a group
  6. fine — high quality
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. capital — a city
  10. club — for golf
  11. suit — to fit
  12. capital — money
  13. club — for dancing
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tear — to rip
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fine — all right
  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