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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 124 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — to recline
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bank — for money
  12. tear — from crying
  13. press — a publisher
  14. drill — army training
  15. press — to push
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cold — not warm
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — the season
  24. deal — to handle

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