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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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tear — from crying
  4. press — newspapers
  5. tear — from crying
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — a price
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — a publisher
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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