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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tear — to rip
  5. press — newspapers
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rule — government
  8. stock — goods
  9. track — a song
  10. root — the cause
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. kick — in football
  13. press — a publisher
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stock — shares
  16. rule — a law
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. root — of a plant
  19. press — to push
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. track — a path
  22. craft — boats
  23. root — of a word
  24. kick — with a leg

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