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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. season — of the year
  3. press — to push
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wound — an injury
  7. season — in sport
  8. tear — to rip
  9. can — a tin
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. can — to be able to
  12. last — final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — an injury
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. press — a publisher
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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