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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. roll — a cake
  5. board — a committee
  6. present — the time now
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rock — music
  9. present — a gift
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ball — a great time
  15. present — there
  16. board — to get on
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. press — to push
  23. rock — a stone
  24. press — newspapers

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