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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. press — newspapers
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rule — government
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. press — to push
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. field — for sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. firm — steady
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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