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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — to rip
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. craft — a skill
  8. press — to push
  9. craft — boats
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — a publisher
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. press — newspapers
  19. net — for catching
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. prune — the fruit

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