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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fine — high quality
  6. press — to push
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fine — all right
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. press — newspapers
  14. branch — a division
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. branch — of a bank

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