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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stand — to bear
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — to push
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — a division
  9. can — a tin
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. press — newspapers
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fall — the season
  19. content — the amount
  20. can — to be able to
  21. content — happy
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cue — a signal
  24. branch — of a tree

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