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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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. press — a publisher
  4. land — a country
  5. pitch — completely
  6. press — newspapers
  7. spell — magic
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — ground
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spell — letters
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pass — a permit
  14. press — to push
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tear — from crying
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. perch — for a bird

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