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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.

Words on the sheet
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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. press — a publisher
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — to breed
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — a partner
  18. press — to push
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mate — a friend
  24. hide — animal skin

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