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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. tear — from crying
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. degree — temperature
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. degree — an amount
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tear — to rip
  24. lie — to recline

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