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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. press — newspapers
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cap — of ice
  13. press — a publisher
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fork — in a road
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pass — a permit
  24. press — to push

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