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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tear — from crying
  4. saw — the tool
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stem — to come from
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ground — a position
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. face — to confront
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ground — the earth
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. tear — from crying
  23. craft — boats
  24. ground — crushed

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