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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hand — help
  4. fine — high quality
  5. tear — from crying
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. press — to push
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. staff — a stick
  12. press — a publisher
  13. hand — in cards
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. staff — employees
  19. tear — to rip
  20. prune — to trim
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. hand — part of the body

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