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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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 — to rip
  2. press — a publisher
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. press — to push
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fork — in a road
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. key — for a lock
  11. firm — a company
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bound — certain
  14. key — in music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. row — a line
  17. bound — tied together
  18. firm — steady
  19. rock — music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. firm — decided
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bound — obliged
  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