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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 124 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. press — a publisher
  4. club — for dancing
  5. press — to push
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mark — a trace
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. club — a group
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. club — for golf
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mark — a grade

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