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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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468
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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chest — of your body
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. press — to push
  6. chest — a box
  7. staff — employees
  8. hand — help
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — a stick
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. tear — to rip
  15. press — newspapers
  16. staff — employees
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. press — a publisher
  23. tear — from crying
  24. temple — side of the head

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