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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. kick — in football
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pop — music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tear — to rip
  11. shower — rain
  12. ground — the earth
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ground — a position
  17. branch — a division
  18. pop — soda
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ground — crushed
  21. shower — to wash
  22. press — to push
  23. pop — to visit
  24. press — newspapers

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