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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. board — to get on
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a committee
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. present — a gift
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tube — a container
  19. tear — to rip
  20. present — the time now
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. press — a publisher
  23. present — there
  24. safe — out of danger

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