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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. firm — steady
  4. race — the arms race
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. swing — to play on
  8. press — a publisher
  9. swing — music
  10. press — newspapers
  11. snap — to click
  12. firm — a company
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. firm — decided
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. charge — a price
  17. swing — in golf
  18. press — to push
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. tear — from crying
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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